Dark Horizon
by Soulfire72
Summary: The Dragon Realms have finally settled into a new age of peace, and Spyro and Cynder begin new lives amongst normal dragons. However, when Spyro and his new friends discover the world's magic being devoured, Spyro's desire for the truth will lead him down a path from which he cannot turn away.
1. In Shade's Grasp

Prelude

In shade's grasp

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><p><em>He couldn't see anything. For a moment, his world had gone blank, and he knew not where he was or what he'd been doing just a few seconds ago. Then his world began to come into focus. Pillars of fire were before him, but faded as if strangled by a haze of blood. He blinked, but the darkness would not lift.<em>

What is this? Long spans have I slept, but...

_He then heard a voice, the familiar voice of his vessel. He listened, hoping for some inkling of why he'd been asleep so long._

'... Ignitus! No!'

What?_ If he could have snorted with derision, he would have. He'd never heard such a pathetic, weak cry._

_Another voice, softer, yet firmer, entered his eardrums, and his vision shot backwards to a dark, slim figure with shining emerald eyes. He didn't catch all of what the two said, musing over the name. Ignitus. Memories of his vessel filtered into his mind – sudden and overwhelming. A dragon. The first of its kind the vessel had encountered._

It... can't be... a creature of magic, lost? No... it... can't be! Magic is all that matters! I must have it!

_Forcing his embodiment to move, he smothered the memories with the overriding will of his own, blending with the grief generated by the warm memories. _

It's mine.

_As he rose in place, flapping his large appendages, the shining figure pulled back on something that bound the two bodies. He ground his teeth in frustration at the figure. Who was it to stop him?_

'You can't stop me.'

_The figure was unmoved, staring directly into his eyes. His vision cleared again, and suddenly he recognised the figure. Another dragon - the second his vessel had encountered. His attention was quickly fixated on the energy chain binding them, and the implications of maintaining his tugging away from it._

'You're right. Only you can do that! Please, Spyro... don't do this...'

Spyro.

_The memories of the black creature began to mix in with those of Ignitus, and Spyro's will was strengthening once again. He quickly surmised his entrance into this world ending._

I cannot. This one is another creature of magic. I cannot risk reclaiming one and destroying another in the process. For now, these two must continue...

_He felt his thoughts fading away, his being swallowed up by those of Spyro's returning. He felt a last pang of frustration at this happening so quickly._

When will I glimpse this world... a world of magic... again? I want to know... more...

_If he could have sighed with helplessness, he would have._

* * *

><p>Spyro stirred from his slumber, blinking his eyes and yawning widely, emitting a slight growl. It was too early to wake up, he told himself. <em>Please, just a few more hours...<em>

After a couple of minutes, with his wing draped over his face, he quickly gave up the fight of falling asleep. After that dream, he knew he would have a hard time sleeping again before dawn. In fact, he could see tiny rays of light shining through the thin scarlet membrane of his unfurled wing.

_Why was I remembering... that time? I still feel a little guilty for Cynder having to talk me out of it... and... Ignitus..._

Grief threatened to overcome him again, but the recent relief at seeing the world whole again, soaring alongside Cynder, would not allow it. _No. Ignitus did his duty, and I did mine. The best I can do for him is to honour his actions... and sacrifice. He believed in us to the end... Ignitus..._

He let a single tear slide down his cheek before spurring his body to do something. There was a reason he woke up now, and he wanted to find it.

Folding it down and shifting his weight, he quickly felt Cynder's warm flank against his, curled up sleeping against his side. Getting up, he couldn't help but smile down at her warmly. She looked so content that part of him wished, just for a moment, that they'd be able to sleep under the shade of the tree forever. Looking up, he craned his neck for a better view of his surroundings.

The Valley of Avalar was subtly lit up by the rising sunlight. The colours of the clear water waxed and waned through the colours of the rainbow, mixing in with the dimmed colours of wildflowers surrounding the bank and rolling plains. He couldn't help but sigh in gratification. He felt it the last time the two of them were here alongside Hunter and Sparx; being surrounded by nature in all its glory couldn't help but put him at ease. Especially in Cynder's presence.

_Ah, Spyro, you are such a fool._

He blinked, surprised at the suddenly cold thought. His wings drooped a little, his thoughts returning to that of Terrador, Cyril and Volteer, along with Sparx and Hunter. He'd nearly allowed himself to forget about them, if only for this one night.

_Would that be so bad? For once, there are no questions, no uncertainty... in this little world under the tree with Cynder. Can't I just enjoy it while it lasts? For once in my life, can't I be selfish?_

Deep in his heart, he knew he would have to return to the rest of the world, and soon. If the others were trapped or otherwise in need of his and Cynder's help, then he needed to be there. Not to mention the other possible ramifications of the world nearly breaking apart.

Thoughts of food quickly shifted into his belly's rumbling, and he decided to find some game before Cynder woke. However, just out from the shade of the tree, he made out an incredible sight glowing in the sky. Nestled amongst the silver stars was a massive spectral figure, glowing a warm orange. It's likeness was that of a dragon, but more serpent-like with two regal wings on either side, proportionally larger than any dragon's Spyro had seen before. He could only stare back into its silver eyes in awe, jaw agape.

_Who is... that? Or is that anyone at all?_

The thoughts of game vanished, and Spyro was at Cynder's side, nudging her cheek gently with his muzzle.

'Cynder...' he whispered gently. 'Come on, you have to see this.'

The black dragoness opened her eyes slowly, gazing up at Spyro drearily. She became curious as she saw the somewhat childish grin adorning his muzzle.

'It's still... so dark, Spyro. What's got you all worked up?'

Spyro just jerked his head back wordlessly, prompting her to get up and follow him a few steps. They both looked up at the silhouette. She couldn't help but smile at the sight herself.

'Wow. Just... wow.'

They stood there together in revered silence for a few minutes. Then Spyro spoke up.

'Who do you think it is?'

Cynder paused thoughtfully as she lowered her head.

'It doesn't look like any dragon we've seen. Maybe... maybe it's one of the Ancestors, acknowledging us? Or...' She chose her next words carefully. 'It could be Ignitus... telling us he's... proud of us.'

Spyro's gaze didn't falter, but his voice wavered a little. 'Both sound fine to me. I hope... Ignitus knows how much he'll be missed.'

Cynder inched closer to him, gently nuzzling his neck. 'He will be.'

Spyro returned the gesture against her cheek. They both closed their eyes, and for one more moment, they were the only two under the spectre's gaze.


	2. A Rude Awakening

**A/N**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter! Since this is my first Spyro fic, I'd really appreciate any feedback whatsoever - from the positive to not-so-positive, even to the extremely negative. It would really help to know about my mistakes at this stage at the beginning, rather than well into the next story maybe a year down the track like last time...**

**This story was born after a couple of years of reflection. The LoS series really brought Spyro's world to life, in my opinion - I'll always remember the originals as kids, hell the first I still find enjoyable even today! But then it kinda derailed a little with the sequels, but they were still fun. But I found the characters and the world of LoS far more engaging, and it moved me in a way few games can. This is for LoS.**

**My one and only disclaimer: I don't own The LoS franchise, though who owns it now is anyone's guess... (shakes fist at Skylanders)... Activision I suppose? I do own my own OCs, obviously.**

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

A Rude Awakening

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><p>Sparx woke to the cries of an infant mole, piercing the comfortable silence to sting his ears. He sighed inwardly; now the time for rest was over.<p>

_Aw man... and now for another long march back to Warfang..._

The gold dragonfly spread his beating wings from the small rocky outcrop he slept on, not far within a large cavern, where a large group of moles, cheetahs and dragons had taken refuge. The evening before, after a long series of quakes and crumbling earth, all species alike held their breaths as Spyro and Cynder clashed with Malefor. For what seemed like hours, the threat of the cavern collapsing on top of them loomed, but Hunter was quick to inform them that the outside land was becoming even more unstable than the cavern within. Sparx remembered the warrior cat's grim expression as they awaited the news when he scouted it out.

_'There's nowhere left to run. I can see blocks of land giving way to the fire beneath. We will stay inside, for good or ill. All we can do is pray to Ancestors past, and trust in those three who went on without us.'_

Sparx remembered the panic that spread through the crowd. He couldn't but grin for a moment, as he knew exactly what to do, projecting his disproportionately firm voice echoing through the crowd.

_'What'cha all worrying about? You heard the cat. So... isn't it obvious? Trust them. Spyro may be big, purple and fat, but he's my brother - and he's never let me down. I know he and Cynder can do it.'_

Though the anxiety didn't entirely dissipate, they knew he told the truth. Their lives were in the hands of his brother - and he delivered, as the rumbling eventually stopped outside.

They were greeted by thick beams of sunlight in their eyes, instead of the glowing red heat of rising magma like Hunter had described. Instead, once the glare had subsided, Sparx rose out of the cavern alongside Hunter, gazing over the land. It was different, he gave it that. When they came, the lava was rising to the point where the grass shrivelled at the cliff's edges. Now... the land was broken up into large pieces, still floating and upheld by magic, leaving a light fog drifting below their feet. But there was so much green now, as if the rising lava hadn't been there at all. He could feel the pleasant, natural air currents returning. And Sparx knew; the land had been damaged, but it was very much alive.

_Thanks, bro. I think I owe you a sandwich! No, scratch that, I owe you a salad. The nicest salad ever made, if I can get my hands on it..._

Sparx groaned as he returned to the present. Hunter, leaning against a nearby rock face, jerked awake with a start at the cries, as several others around them began stirring, with some annoyed purring from the cheetahs, the instinctive chatter of moles, and several thrums from dragon's throats.

Grinning cheekily, Sparx buzzed on over to hover beside Hunter's face, to which he received a thinly masked smile.

'Sleeping on the job, are we Hunter?'

The cheetah only snorted stiffly, instinctively rubbing an eye. 'Of course not. I was... resting my eyes.'

'Yeah? Well, two can play at that game.'

Hunter visibly groaned when the dragonfly flew to the top of his head, deftly grabbing his abdomen before he settled down for a snooze.

'Up, you lazy dragonfly. There's work to be done.'

Sparx opened his eyes flatly. 'There's always work to be done.'

Hunter rolled his eyes fondly. Despite all of Sparx's complaining the past few days, he was ever grateful to the dragonfly. Many following citizens may have given up from exhaustion had Sparx not been there to buzz annoyingly into their ears, urging them to keep going with not-so-subtle insults. While unorthodox, he'd done wonders at keeping everyone together and alive. He looked over at the cave entrance as the dawn's light filtered through.

'It is time for us to all go home.' _Provided there is still a home to return to... _He nodded firmly. 'Rally them like you know how, Sparx.'

Sparx looked a little insulted, but shrugged as Hunter let him turn around in mid-air, before cupping his hands around his mouth.

'Hey sleepy-heads! Get off your lazy butts! I'm itching for a good meal right about now, but the way you guys sleep you might as well have had ten already!'

Hunter smirked despite himself as most people stood up piously, some cheetahs shaking their weapons at the dragonfly angrily while some dragons only groaned in response.

'_You're_ a butt!' Mason retorted at their feet. 'I swear, if we didn't need your light...'

'But you do. Don't you?'

Mason harrumphed as he followed his fellow moles out the wide entrance, along with a few awed murmurs before some cheetahs shoved the column forward in annoyance. The dragons brought up the rear, seemingly finding it the most difficult to move despite Sparx's indignations. Hunter was somewhat surprised when the three Guardians were equally dreary-eyed as the other dragons.

'Oh great...' Sparx palmed his face jokingly. 'You guys couldn't have slept long enough to be left behind? Especially you, Volteer.'

The bright yellow dragon only stared down at him with genuine surprise. 'Surely you don't mean to say I'm an overburdened sleeper, Sparx? I supposed I was a rather light-'

Cyril gave his friend a light smirk. 'Of course he doesn't, cloud-brain.'

Volteer blinked rapidly. 'Oh yes. I was just surprised, since Sparx is ever so fond of slumbering on our heads and - '

'That's enough, you two.' Terrador boomed lowly as Sparx began to look sickly at Volteer's voice. The muscled earth dragon stepped forward confidently after the large crowd of citizens, sparing a glance at Hunter. 'You all heard Hunter. We've still got work to do, and as Guardians, many will look to us for leadership. It will only get harder in Ignitus' absence...'

With a grim but firm nod, the group of dragons, dragonfly and cheetah joined the column as they began their short trek towards Warfang.

* * *

><p>The trip began smoothly enough; arguments over rations were minimal as the cheetahs were well-disciplined and used to hunger, the moles had plenty of plants and berries to eat on the way, and the dragons... well, Sparx assumed they were just so grateful to be alive that they wouldn't mind a day or two without meat. As the column settled in an improvised mass camp by the river's side under the shade of a great tree, some dragons took to the scattered energy crystals, while Prowlus led some cheetahs and Terrador away, volunteering themselves to seek some game as the others rested. Hunter also volunteered to join them, but he'd taken more than a few night watches himself already, and quickly accepted Prowlus' insistence that he stay behind.<p>

'You'd be more useful here in case of grublins,' Prowlus had retorted. 'In your current state, I'd be surprised if we caught anything at all.'

Blunt, but accurate, Hunter had decided. It was probably too much to hope that the grublins had been eradicated in the wake of the world break, and given their size they might have some scattered nests still lying about, even in Avalar.

He and the remaining Guardians had taken sentry points surrounding the surviving group. Hunter inwardly hoped that all the groups sent out under the protection of other dragons and cheetah warriors would return to Warfang safe and sound.

_But first, we have to get there._

His sharp eyes wandered the skies, as if expecting a message from darkening sky. He sighed when, for what seemed the hundredth time, there was nothing.

Instead, his eyes wandered over to the other two guardians, who had kept themselves alternately awake. On opposite sides around the camp, they would sleep for two hours; then send an elemental signal to the others when the period was up. It wouldn't be long before Hunter used his, Sparx in the palm of his paw. Looking for his glowing companion, Hunter saw Sparx a fair distance away, alone on the surface of a grey rock, staring up at the sky. The cheetah instantly knew what he was thinking about, as the dragonfly was usually upbeat and full of energy. Moving stealthily, he quickly came to kneel beside him.

'Worried about them, Sparx?'

His murmur didn't even startle him. Sparx had quickly gotten used to the silent hellos and goodbyes of his cheetah friend.

'Hey, Hunter. Yeah, I kinda lost myself in the stars up there... did you see it? Last night?'

The image of the glowing dragon silhouette filled Hunter's mind for a moment. 'I did.'

'That means they're fine... right?'

'I like to think so, yes.'

'Them dragons.' Sparx suddenly found himself musing. 'Strange that they seem to think the world revolves around them. 'Cause it kinda does.'

Hunter raised a furry brow inquisitively. 'You sound oddly bitter. That's quite unlike you, my friend.'

Sparx bowed his head. 'It's just... when Spyro, Cynder and Ignitus left for the Belt of Fire, I... I felt so helpless. It was so obvious to everyone, including me, that I wasn't anything but an annoyance that would get in the way. I know they cared about me, and they were right to leave me behind... but... it was the first time Spyro actually did. Not when we dove into the Dark Portal thing, or into the scary ugly-ape fortress, and last but not least – into the Well of Souls... no matter what, I'll always be a dragonfly, while Spyro's a dragon.'

Hunter nodded his head, moving down into a sitting position. 'You're concerned Spyro's got too much of a load on his shoulders?'

'...yeah.'

Hunter shook his head and smiled. 'You won't have to worry about that for much longer. Cynder promised to take care of him, correct? And you trust her?'

Sparx answered instantly. 'I do.'

'Then be at ease, my friend. What you've done for us here; is beyond words. Many of these people here owe you their lives.'

The dragonfly looked at him warily and scoffed. 'C'mon, don't pull my wings, Hunter.'

'I mean it, Sparx.'

Sparx eyed him suspiciously for a moment, as if figuring him out, before submitting with a wave of his hand. 'Eh, fine, I can never read that poker face of yours anyhow.'

Hunter simply nodded in agreement with a slight smile, causing Sparx to groan. Then Hunter's eyes shot upwards.

'What?' Sparx mumbled flatly. 'Another one of those Wyvern things coming to kill us all?'

'Not at all.'

Hunter raised his right arm to a horizontal position, while Sparx watched apathetically. Until he heard a loud squawk, as his own eyes shot upwards.

'Aah!'

He ducked and dashed behind Hunter as a large falcon swooped down with its claws outstretched, swooping down to land on Hunter's arm, Sparx staring at it in terror. It had a golden breast and a sleek, soil-brown overcoat. Sparx' eyes dashed between them before they narrowed accusingly, as the falcon eyed him hungrily.

'You did that on purpose!'

Hunter chuckled as he stroked the falcon's head, earning a nuzzle in response. 'Relax. Talon knows a real meal when he sees one.'

_Great. Spyro can kick butt despite being fat, but I'm too skinny to be even a bird's meal. Figures._

'You gave that thing a name?' Sparx spouted indignantly. 'He wants to eat me! Stop looking at me...'

Talon ruffled his feathers, and looking up at Hunter, emitted a number of low squawks in quick succession, which earned him a wide smile from Hunter.

'Good news, at least. He says the other three groups out there are faring well and are nearing Warfang as we speak.'

His fear of the avian suddenly gone, Sparx buzzed up and looked Talon in his beady black eye. 'Hey! What about Spyro? Cynder? Ignitus?'

Hunter's face fell a little as Talon was silent. 'I'm sorry, Sparx. He hasn't seen them. But if it helps, I only sent him over the southern lands. They went north into the Belt of Fire, so he wasn't in their path to Warfang.'

Sparx' shoulders slumped. 'Thanks for nothing, bird-brain.'

Talon emitted a sudden piercing shriek that made Sparx jump back a few feet. Hunter only nodded as if to say 'tsk, tsk.'

'You shouldn't insult a Great Falcon, Sparx. They are naturally proud creatures, and rightfully so. Their intelligence is unmatched among birds of prey, so I'm afraid your insult rings hollow.' He raised a paw to his chin thoughtfully. 'You want to know how the cheetahs and falcons found each other?'

Sparx shook his head, still wide-eyed with fear, but Hunter didn't notice.

* * *

><p>'Two centuries ago, one of our greatest chiefs, Markus, was hunting a large bear he'd been tracking for days. His mate needed the pelt so she'd be able to bear the brunt of our harsh winters, as they were expecting cubs next season. The whole tribe knew of the family's importance, and he loved his mate dearly; not even considering another female if she died.<p>

'He followed the bear through the Blowback Mountain trail, passing to the east of our village, first spotting it drinking the river's water from our sentry tower, dragging a dead deer with it. Seeing its large size and strength, not only would the thick pelt keep his mate alive, but its meat would also save most of the tribe from starving. And so he set off, with only a makeshift cloak, and his bow and arrows. His thin feet crunched through the first snowfall, and therefore he found it difficult to keep up with it despite his experience. The bear climbed the steep slopes with ease.

'After following it to the base of the tallest mountain, he found a small alcove dug out of the rock faces where he presumed the bear sheltered itself. He crept around the outskirts of the cave, huddled amongst the rocks. He treaded carefully so as to not lose his footing from a sudden gust, as the winds were beginning to pick up as the first cold of winter arrived. Finally, he found a divot in the rocks that gave him a good angle from the side, allowing him a good view while hiding him from the bear's. As he sighted down the arrow, he found himself with a strange sight. The bear had dropped its kill, but stepped away, and he spotted two cubs tear at the carcass hungrily. It was a mother.

'He aimed his bow at the bear's head, but he couldn't do it. Markus was an exceptional marksman, perhaps even better than myself, but he knew the way of harvesting. The image of his pregnant mate fresh in his mind, he stood there with indecision, unable to fire.'

'This hesitation cost him dearly, as an unfortunate gust at that moment loosened the rocks below his feet, sending him tumbling down the rocks and ending up with a broken leg. Though he managed to hold onto his bow, he was alone as the weather began to worsen. He crawled down towards the trail he came from, knowing he wouldn't catch anything, much less survive.

'However, he came across a pair of falcons. Moreover, they came across him, mistaking him for a carcass. He opened an eye to examine them as he lay there in the cold dirt, and they somehow knew he needed help. The tale doesn't specify how, but the falcons set off for a while and with their strength of their beaks, broke off a long, sturdy branch from the trees a few miles down the mountain.

'They both carried it back to Markus, and with it, he managed to lumber down back to his village, but without the pelt or food, the villagers knew they would go hungry for a time, though they had gathered extra rations while he was gone. However, his mate was growing weak, and no matter how warm they tried to make her, her condition worsened. The falcons quickly disappeared again upon seeing her, somehow fighting through the gusts of the mountain with ease. Within a day, they returned to Markus' mate with a straw nest large enough to fit her quite comfortably. Markus didn't object when they nestled in with her, covering her with their regal wings. The villagers, when they could, brought the trio as much food and water as they could spare.

'When Winter finally broke, the falcons were very weak, but with deer in sight again, the villagers, as if in a frenzy went out and gathered as much food as they could. Markus joined them on the hunt, but found something peculiar – a liquid mess plastered on the path down the mountain, with remains of a thick shell surrounding its edges. He quickly realised that the falcons had sacrificed their own egg for his mate's sake; it was too heavy for the falcons to have lifted the nest with it inside.

'In honour of their sacrifice, the falcons were treated as equals in the village, and with their combined efforts as hunters, the village prospered once again as Markus' cubs were born, and the falcon pair eventually raised another egg. More than that, Markus and all cheetahs alike had a newfound respect for fellow hunters, and adopted their hunting to keep from disturbing their environment more than was necessary.

* * *

><p>'And so it has been, Sparx. Falcons can leave as they please, but we can communicate with them well enough to understand their reasons.' Talon hopped off his arms and onto the rock Sparx was on just, ducking his head behind his wing to preen. 'Those two original falcons went back to the wild in their old age, and their hatchlings, by that time, had already found mates of their own, after staying with us for a time. We make an effort to save any orphaned falcons we encounter, or their eggs. Talon here, I found injured after a grublin attack during the war, a vile arrow through his wing. You could say he's grateful to me.'<p>

Talon poked his head out and eyed Hunter flatly, before resuming his activity. Hunter simply chuckled. 'Although he's too proud to admit it.'

The cheetah was surprised to see Sparx could only stare at Hunter and his companion in amazement. 'You were listening? I would have thought you'd fallen asleep by now.'

Sparx frowned in offense. 'So... what? You just make all that up, then?'

'Not at all.'

Sparx shrugged after a moment. 'Your bird kinda stared at me the whole time. But...that was... nice, Hunter. Thanks for sharing it.' He examined Talon curiously, and despite him being a bird, he did hold a sort of majesty similar to that of some dragons.

'I wonder...' Sparx spoke out loud. 'Falcons... don't eat, dragonflies... do they?'

Hunter furrowed his brow. 'They would if they needed to survive, Sparx. They are predators at heart, even with our teachings.'

Sparx sighed glumly. 'Thanks for that. I feel _so_ much better. And after such a good story, too.'

Hunter gave another sly smile. 'You're welcome.' His deep green eyes suddenly widened. 'Dragon's breath. The signal!'

Sparx yelped indignantly as Hunter's paw closed around him. 'Geroff me!'

* * *

><p>The next morning, the group moved on towards the Forbidden Tunnel, Hunter leading the way as the group channelled into single file to fit down the waterfall's edge. However, most of the cheetahs opted to return to their village and continued across a large log bridge, deviating from the rest of the group's path. Hunter and Prowlus grasped claws like two brothers, and parted without a word.<p>

Sparx used his light through the somewhat narrow cave to help keep the group moving as best he could, staying around the middle due to some light from the two sides. Some of the larger dragons got stuck around this point when grouped together, and needed some assistance from occupants front and back to get them through. Once again, the three Guardians came out the tunnel last, and they emerged within sight of the Dragon City, the ground in front ravaged and upturned, not to mention the extensive damage to the walls, but it looked more welcoming than any city could at that point.

'We made it!' Sparx exclaimed, but his joy was short-lived. 'But Spyro hasn't yet...'

As Hunter joined him to the side as he dropped his demeanour again, he cleared his throat. 'Sparx? I have a confession.'

'Not another history lesson, Hunter. Not now.'

A smile twitched on Hunter's lips. 'No, I mean to say that someone... used that tunnel recently. Someone on your mind right now.'

Sparx could only stare. 'Wh... you mean... Spyro's...?'

'Actually, I could spot two pairs of clawed feet before we covered them in our own tracks.'

Sparx was suddenly nowhere to be seen, and Hunter spotted him well ahead of the entire column. He gave a surprised grin. _Incredible. _ _I didn't know he had such speed in him._


	3. Aftermath

Chapter 2

Aftermath

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><p>The voice of a distant hawk cry roused Cynder from her slumber. She spotted glint off her own silver scales on the nearby tree that she and Spyro found themselves under. Gazing out at the river again, the sunlight bounced off the water's surface similarly to her scales. In fact, the landscape was so lit up that she had to squint for a moment before her eyes adjusted.<p>

She was feeling relatively rested now, but examining her purple friend, could see he still needed a bit longer. After making it out of the core of the planet, thanks to the air current's sudden burst of wind as the planet reformed itself, Spyro had collapsed heavily in a heap on the nearest cliffside. He managed to walk with her for a time, and Cynder had prayed thanks to the Ancestors they had ended up in sight of Avalar. They managed to find some water at the river, and Cynder scrounged up a couple of rodents for them to share that night for dinner. After the unyielding tension of fighting battle after battle for weeks on end, their stomachs didn't seem ready to eat normally quite yet. That lack of raw energy took its toll on Spyro, especially.

Part of Cynder's mind crept back to that moment as Spyro rose in the air and emitted that familiar glow. When she said those words, she could _feel_ as if he'd heard her; the shining golden light enveloping them both as if to say_ 'thank you'_. She sighed, her heart suddenly weighed down a little.

_It's OK, though; there's no rush. I wouldn't mind taking things easy for a long time... once we get back to Warfang, of course. I can't think of a better place to rest under shelter with some company._

Spyro had his forelimbs folded in front of him, dozing with his head resting on top of them. He looked so content that Cynder knew she'd feel a bit sorry for him when he woke up – even if he'd done the same to her only a few hours ago. He'd done her a massive favour in doing so, after all.

Her stomach suddenly growled lowly, a sound she wasn't expecting for a while. Shrugging her shoulders, she set off to look for any other animals that could fill her belly.

She crept out of the shade and climbed a slight slope for a better launch point. As she spread her wings, they immediately ached as though a massive weight had been on them all night. She groaned miserably.

_Still not ready..._

Hers, and Spyro's as well, she guessed; their wings seemed to scream in protest whenever they moved them after that initial flight to the surface. Thinking back, she wasn't surprised. Even she, who excelled at flying, knew they'd pushed their bodies and wings to limits they weren't supposed to.

Instead of flying from her perch, she caught an interesting sight. Her keen eyes picked up on a large familiar oak surrounded by the current of the flowing river, and just beyond that, the tall wooden palisades of a village.

_Perfect! Maybe they can help us out a little._

Backtracking a few metres, she rushed to Spyro's side and nudged his cheek gently.

'Up, Spyro. There's some old friends waiting for us, sleepyhead.'

Spyro's eyes rolled a little under his eyelids as he stirred. 'Uh... morning. Again.' He quickly looked around. 'Where are we going?'

'Cheetahs.'

'Oh.'

She tugged at his paw with her own to spur him into action, and followed her down the grassy slopes as they navigated their way over the log bridges where they could, both grimacing with pain whenever they unfurled the joints of their wings on instinct.

Thankfully the village soon loomed into view, with the smells of spices and fires gradually filling their nostrils. Spyro found his mouth watering a little as they stood on the wide dirt path, surrounded by signs of habitation.

'Hello? Is anyone there?' Cynder called hopefully.

They were immediately greeted by several voices, some welcoming, others wary. Several cheetah warriors approached them from around the corner, initially with their spears raised, but immediately retracted them with wide eyes at the sight of them.

'Spyro! Cynder!' A pale yellow warrior exclaimed, before his eyes darted to the others. 'Quickly, someone fetch Meadow. He'll want to see them.' His eyes again darted to a couple of cheetahs near a fire. 'Shiall, show these two our hospitality.'

As one of them stood up, clad in an emerald green cloak, Spyro could quickly tell by their height and build that she was female. He raised his brow in surprise, but he quickly guessed the cheetahs had sent their females into hiding the last time they visited. When she lowered her blue hood, her clean light-brown face wasn't as furry as the males; her blue eyes kinder. She approached them as a few onlookers paused to watch, while others returned to their daily business, greeting them with a bow.

'Welcome, young dragons. I am Shiall; wife to our chief Prowlus.'

Spyro looked surprised, but Cynder couldn't help but speak up. 'Really? How can you stand him?'

'_Cynder!' _Spyro hissed through clenched teeth. 'A little tact...'

Shiall simply chuckled. 'Not at all, Spyro. Much of our village wonder the same thing on a daily basis. Eventually, I gave up giving a straight answer... but put simply, it's a matter of teamwork more than romantic attachment.'

Cynder nodded her head in understanding. 'Hmm... yeah, that sounds like how Prowlus would want it.'

Shiall gestured back with a wave of her paw. 'Care for some fish? Freshly cooked under the spit.'

'Yeah, please!' Spyro responded almost immediately. Cynder smiled fondly as they joined the other female by the fire, and without asking, dropped on the patches of grass that passed for cushions. Shiall picked out two stakes impaling the cooked meal and handed one to each of them. Spyro dug into it, pleased at its healthy size.

As they ate, Shiall examined them with even more fascination than Hunter once did. 'Incredible. Such colours... I haven't seen your like in all my life. Granted, I haven't seen too many dragons passing through here besides...'

Cynder couldn't help but feel flattered as the cheetah payed close attention to her silver markings adorning her forehead and shoulders. The cheetah stared with such intensity that she half-expected her to touch them like she would a carving.

'...Pardon my asking, but...' Shiall began timidly. 'Do you know where these patterns come from? What they mean?'

Spyro and Cynder quickly looked to each other quizzically before Cynder shook her head. 'I'm... afraid not. Though... those on my shoulders only appeared after being stuck in a crystal prison for three years.'

To her surprise, Shiall nodded with satisfaction at her answer. 'I see. It must be a racial trait of black dragons. Fascinating...'

Her interest prompted Spyro to ask in return. 'What exactly do you do for the village? And Prowlus?'

'I'm a... scribe of sorts. I fare better expressing our wishes and concerns to our allies and associates in other villages, especially that of Warfang. Prowlus would much rather hunt than bother himself with expressing his concerns personally. At least, in writing.'

'What about your free time?' Cynder asked.

'Free time? Well...' She gave a longing smile. 'I do love it when our hunters find an ancient scroll or stone tablet. I like to uncover secrets of the past, and to observe how our language has evolved over the centuries. Though Prowlus is prone to calling my pastime "dust-gathering". Still, I value any history I find, no matter how small.'

Cynder quickly thought to her interest in her markings. 'Do you know anything about the history of black dragons, maybe?'

Shiall shook her head. 'I'm afraid not. My knowledge of dragons is limited; I'd have to travel to the Dragon City and spend weeks poring through any tomes they might have available. And I've no shortage of duties here, unfortunately.'

She looked up as a crimson-furred cheetah hurried through the front gates with a fellow in tow. He gave a toothy grin as Spyro and Cynder turned to look, their faces returning his in kind.

'Meadow!' Spyro got up first, but stopped awkwardly in front of the cheetah. Sensing this, Meadow simply knelt and offered a paw, and Spyro grabbed it in a firm paw-shake. He repeated the gesture for Cynder, who glanced at his leg curiously.

'Looks like you've healed up well, Meadow,' she observed, the cheetah flexing his toes as an example.

'Thanks to you two – and no thanks to Prowlus.'

Spyro looked around warily, expecting disapproving glances their way. 'Uh... why is it fine to talk like that in public?'

Meadow gave a small smile as he stood. 'Prowlus prefers the blunt truth rather than roundabout lies. We've learned to tolerate his leadership, necessary as it is. He's hard and stubborn, but he's still got our best interests at heart.'

They found themselves looking over the valley as if expecting Prowlus' group to enter their view at any second. After a few moments, the cheetah sighed heavily.

'Prowlus and Hunter... along with most of our warriors... We'll need them back to ascertain the future of our tribe.'

Spyro lowered his head thoughtfully, trying to sound reassuring. He remembered the cheetahs fighting through the edge of the grublin line, and how they managed to get in the front gates before he and Cynder joined the fray. He didn't know how many died outside the walls, however.

'Don't worry; we saw most of your people who helped us at Warfang survive... somehow. And Terrador knows what he's doing. You'll see them soon, Meadow.'

Meadow nodded reservedly. 'I hope so, young dragon.' He turned and smiled again. 'I presume you are returning to Warfang now?'

Cynder nodded. 'After we've had enough of a lunch. Our wings can barely lift us now, let alone all the way to Warfang...' She thought to herself quickly. 'I suppose the best way would be to follow the same route as we did before. Right, Spyro?'

He inclined his head. 'Right.'

Cynder was quickly feeling tension knot up in her joints, anxious to get moving again now that her stomach was full. She found herself with a strange sensation of wanting to keep moving and fighting like her body had done for a long time now; the sudden prospect of doing no such thing felt strange to her. Her mind welcomed it, but her body couldn't seem to keep up.

Meadow looked slightly disappointed at her fidgeting. 'Leaving so soon? And here I was hoping you would trade stories with me, both of you. I could not do my share of fighting because of my injury, so...'

Spyro smiled gently. 'We understand, Meadow. But a lot of things are still uncertain to us as well. We have to figure the situation with our own people too; not to mention the moles under our protection.'

Meadow gave a submissive nod as he spotted Shiall gathering the leftover firewood from the campsite, preparing to clean up as the sun crossed the midday threshold. 'Very well – I understand that duty must come before embellishing a lonely warrior.'

Cynder couldn't help but roll her eyes at his somewhat melodramatic tone. 'It's not like you can't come and visit Warfang, right? If we have spare time, we could tell you all about it. Shiall might appreciate a visit too.'

'I'll keep that in mind, young dragons.' Meadow prepared himself to follow the other cheetahs as they moved to help clean after the meals. 'Go in peace and prosperity, my friends.'

Spyro and Cynder gave their respective bows before they trotted out the front gate, and were surprised when Shiall gave a friendly wave from one of the towers, and they waved back awkwardly. Spyro grinned to himself as he glanced sideways.

'What do you think of her? Shiall?'

'She's... different.' Cynder admitted, thinking of all the hardened stoic faces of the cheetahs she'd met so far, then Shiall's enthusiastic and friendly questions. 'If only because she's not so stony-faced. Even Hunter has that problem a lot of the time.'

'Yeah...'

Taking care not to push their limbs too far, the two dragons made their way through the familiar pathways towards the western waterfall, where the Forbidden Tunnel still resided.

* * *

><p>Once the two found their way through the thinly veiled canopy nearby, they settled for a short rest next to an energy crystal, both absorbing a small amount of energy from glowing formation with their paws. As if testing, Spyro instinctively snorted a puff of heated smoke from his nostrils towards the water, satisfied that he could use at least one element. Cynder, on the other hand, gave a quick, forceful puff of air from deep within her throat, her aim accidentally pushing Spyro off balance, earning a yelp as he nearly fell into the water. She couldn't help but snicker at his annoyed frown.<p>

'Hey! That could've been a pretty big problem... seeing as it's hard to fly now, remember?'

'I know, I know...' Cynder admitted. 'I just couldn't help it... it's fun messing with you.'

Spyro raised his brow in surprise, before smiling warmly. 'I suppose... it's fine if it's with you.'

Their thoughts went back to the first time in the Valley, and though they'd had their mission to find Meadow, what they both remembered most was one race... one race across the length of the river. It was unspoken, only triggered by smiles as they stared down the Valley together, leaving Sparx behind with a handful of indignant curses.

But they both wanted to get to Warfang and under its cool stone ceilings before it got too dark. They stared over the valley one last time, taking the beauty of the landscape, the sun lighting the distant mountains like shining towers.

'I'll miss this place...' Spyro couldn't help but murmur, to which Cynder grunted in agreement. As Cynder turned towards the sight of the rock face's unique markings, Spyro moved in front of her ever so slightly, a suddenly serious expression adorning his muzzle.

'Cynder? Before we get to Warfang... I wanted to talk.'

Cynder examined him curiously. 'Can't we talk on the way? We're nearly there.'

'I know, but... please, Cynder?'

Something in his voice told her she needed to listen, and she sat on her haunches expectantly, Spyro relaxing before he began.

'I just wanted to say, Cynder... when we get back to Warfang... everything will be different. It's for the best, but... some things, I hope won't change.'

Cynder couldn't pick up his meaning. 'That's a given, isn't it? What are you really trying to say, Spyro?'

He sighed, trying to form the words. As he recalled that moment, he found her words, and the meaning behind it, rather overwhelming. Saving the world, having a goal that he needed to fight his way to... that made sense to him. But this was different. Cynder had told him what he'd hoped for a long time... though he'd no idea how long since it had begun. He wasn't entirely sure how to deal with it, but he needed to say something.

'I remember... the last words you spoke to me; deep in the planet's core, Cynder. You remember?'

Cynder's eyes softened. 'That I would stay with you, no matter what?'

Spyro nodded slowly. 'Yes... and no. You said... you loved me.'

'I did.'

He was taken aback by how sure she sounded, looking directly at him without hesitation. His heart lightened at her admittance, but... he couldn't help but feel a little confused. He didn't know anything about dragon relationships, and Cynder... even less, as she hadn't spent nearly as much time around other dragons as she should have been able to.

'...What does this mean for us, Cynder? What are we supposed to do?'

At that, Cynder's stance faltered a little. She glanced down away from his gaze. 'I'm... not sure, Spyro. That's something I... I have no idea.'

She was put at ease as Spyro moved forward, touching the tip of his snout to her cheek. 'Don't worry too much. We can figure this out. Though... it just occurred to me that apart from fighting and using our abilities, we know almost nothing about being dragons. We need to learn more, before anything else.'

Cynder twitched a smile, knowing he was right. 'That makes sense. But learn what, exactly?'

It was Spyro's turn to smile. 'Everything we can, including how to help those around us. It will take the world a while to recover from Malefor's touch, but...' He gazed at her intently. 'You are an amazing dragon, Cynder. Don't ever doubt that, no matter what you did in the past, what you've already done should be enough for everyone to know what you truly are. And I want to help you become what you were meant to be.'

Cynder was moved by his desire, but found it far too selfless for her better judgement. 'What about you, then? What will you become?'

Spyro glanced downwards once. 'I've done what I was meant to. I only want to do what I can with my powers, now that Malefor's gone... I hope I can be happy living life as a normal dragon. That's what I've always wanted for you, too.'

_A normal dragon? _The words sounded very strange to her. How could she ever be considered a normal dragon among the others, given her past? Then thoughts of the dragons in Warfang and their faces looking directly at her ran through her head, and she instantly felt nervous. How many would judge her and shun her? If she returned and lived among the others, she believed she would become an outcast without meaning to. But Spyro's gaze was sincere, and told her that he would never look at her like that.

'I know it's a little scary, Cynder, but it's where we both belong now. Now that Malefor's gone, isn't it what you want?'

Cynder turned her gaze away uncertainly. 'I've barely thought about that. All that time, it was just war, and Malefor... I admit, it is a bit scary to think about.' She paused thoughtfully, trying to think of what it would be like to be a normal dragon. 'But if it's possible... yeah. I'd like that more than anything. I was taken away from other dragons all my life; given the chance, I would love to be able to live as one of them instead.' She lowered her gaze at him doubtfully. 'But do you really think it'll be that simple? They'll just accept me as one of them?'

Spyro twisted his face in a grin. 'Well, you helped me save the world and stop Malefor. That's a pretty good start.' When Cynder's visage didn't brighten, he smiled encouragingly. 'Even if you're right, the dragons I've known have all been open-minded and kind people. They might be a bit scared of you in the beginning, but as long as you keep trying to help them, they'll warm up eventually. Besides – ' He raised a paw to his chest. 'I'll be there with you, and I'll help you all the way, Cynder. I promise.'

Beaming despite herself, Cynder leaned forward to nuzzle his cheek, holding them in place long enough for them to feel each other's breathing. 'I'm lucky to have a dragon like you with me, Spyro.'

Spyro nuzzled her back in contentment, before lowering his voice. 'I know we've barely started, but... I can't imagine being without you. Thank you – for everything.'

* * *

><p>It was strangely silent for them afterwards, wandering through the tunnel, as any time they spoke sent an annoying amount of echoes in the opposite direction. Their attention was only slightly diverted by the glowing purple crystals embedded in the walls, lighting the way ever so slightly. Spyro guessed the echoes was why Hunter didn't want Sparx to mouth off during their first trip through the tunnel. Cynder couldn't shake off the lingering battle-tension still knotted in her muscles. She wanted to sprint down the tunnel, but with Spyro leading the way, many thoughts still on his mind at what they'd discussed, she didn't want to divert him from it.<p>

However, once sunlight began pouring through as they neared the other end, with Warfang coming into view, she couldn't help but lunge forward over the open plain between them and the nearby western gate. Spyro only stared for a second as if in a trance, before rushing after her. 'Uh... hey! Wait up!'

She slowed down just enough for him to catch up, running up the smooth dirt path surrounded by large fir trees. Last time they had approached, they had found the city under siege, and didn't have time to admire its extravagant stonework. The massive gates were clearly built to allow even the largest dragons in, towering over their heads and wide enough for the Avalar River to flow through. Though littered with dents and impact marks from debris, the dragon adornments still lay emblazoned surrounded by borders containing a continuous message; _strength, friendship, unity._

They didn't have to yell out again, as they spotted the armoured head of a dragon guard glance down as they approached, and after a relieved smile, duck his head behind the high parapet. 'Spyro and Cynder have returned!'

Instead of opening the massive gates as they expected, the two dragons eyed a more modest opening at the sound of gears and levers as a section of the wall slid backwards and to the side, a mole beckoning them through it. It was a suitable size even for them, and said mole began to crank a circular lever as they passed through before the stone slab slid into place behind them.

The guard dragon swooped down in a small arc to meet them. They remembered seeing similar-looking dragons on their first visit, as some had participated in the initial battle. He was a slightly smaller than the Guardians, but still stood more than twice their height. He had moss-green scales with scarlet markings over his flank and some showing through his helmet, which like the rest of his armour was gold. From his bulky build, they guessed he was an Earth dragon. He looked between them with barely contained elation.

'We are... so glad to see the first arrivals, young dragons. Ever since the evacuation begun, we all waited and hoped for your safe return. Ignitus' faith in you was well placed! You'll have to tell us all about your struggle... ' He noticed how their wings dragged tiredly behind them. '...But you must be exhausted from your journey. On another note, have you perchance seen the guardians, or any more of our brethren who fled the city? Only a small population stayed behind here, taking shelter in the sturdiest of buildings.'

Spyro and Cynder shook their heads solemnly. 'No, I'm sorry, sir,' Spyro stated uncertainly. 'We didn't see any of the groups that had evacuated... but we were in a bit of a hurry to get to shelter, if you know what I mean.'

The guard gave a single quick nod. 'Of course, you need quarters. By the Spirits, we certainly have spare room...'

He looked around and eyed a nearby guard flying on patrol, and called up roughly. 'Tytus! Cover my post while I escort these young dragons to suitable quarters.'

Without waiting to see if he'd complied, he strode forward into the city, following a wide walkway with what looked like market stalls and merchant buildings surrounding them. There were a few moles present, but they were more or less building or moving materials into place. The two youngsters followed the wave of the dragon's tail, and he began to speak without prompt. He introduced himself as Clauk.

'The moles are truly dedicated to their work. Once the shaking of the world stopped for good, their stoneworkers and builders immediately drew up plans to begin reconstruction of the lost buildings in the last attack. Thanks to us Earth dragons, we've already repaired the infrastructure networks, even if they were mildly damaged; this includes the underground pressure systems for delivering water to every dwelling, along with heat if desired.'

Spyro felt the weather was relatively warm now, but the idea of huddling in a toasty room by a fire in winter didn't sound too bad either. 'What if you want to make the rooms colder?'

Clauk mused as if remembering a past experience. 'Being dragons, warmer weather usually suits us better, though for those furry moles – the pressure systems can expel the air and leave the systems on a current, using the natural air flowing through the city. Sometimes in extreme heatwaves, we have an Ice dragon go down with the moles and generate some ice-driven cold wind for a couple of hours during midday. He or she would be paid, of course. Mason is a true genius, establishing the city-wide system in the first place.'

'Is Mason here?' Cynder asked hopefully.

Clauk turned his large head and nodded. 'He stayed behind to help keep the place falling apart. He's more of an engineer than a warrior.'

_No doubt. _Cynder remembered with a minor edge of annoyance Mason's role in defending the gate.

'After you rest up tonight, he would be quite happy to see you two. I think he'll be relieved to some familiar faces return.'

It suddenly occurred to Spyro that they had some choice of quarters. 'Uh... Clauk, sir? Can we choose the quarters?'

Clauk suddenly stopped in place, before turning around and smiling in embarrassment. 'Yes, of course, it slipped my mind as we walked. Well... what we have available now is divided into sections rather than individual rooms, all with differing distances to the Library dome, the baths, towers, and so on. So I'll tell you as much as I can about these areas.'

'Your first pick of rooms lies in the residential district – for dragons, obviously. These are large buildings which can house a family of dragons if need be. There are only a few residents there now, with the... well, you know. These are in close proximity to the baths down one layer, situated on the first tier of our constructed plateaus. I actually live there myself. It suits a guard's life, with easy access to the market here for extra food and nearby baths to ease stress.'

Spyro and Cynder quickly grasped the concept of tiers just by looking up. While there were many large buildings obscuring them, it was clear the city was divided into steps as it was built into the side of a very large hill. Each tier's staircases to the next were clearly marked with large dragon statues on either side. Though many had been destroyed or damaged, these large stairs were easily recognisable. What they didn't notice before, spotting one such ramp just beyond Clauk, was that a miniature, thinner stairway rose just beside the seemingly dragon-sized one; it must have been one catered to the moles and other smaller inhabitants. Cynder grinned at the thought of moles attempting to scramble up the steps bigger than they were. She looked back to Clauk as he continued.

'The second area is further up the tiers, where the Guardians and, in ancient past, Council resided. These are better suited for single dragons or pairs, with the Library dome in sight out of the front doors, though it requires a few minutes' travel. The many quarters are built into a makeshift cavern, winding pathways crafted from the rock itself. It's also very close to the outdoor training area, with training young dragons or Guardians in mind. However, it takes a minute or two to fly down to the baths or market rather than being right next to it. The main hall, or hub of this construct is quite magnificent, though its relative openness renders it not as private as the residential area.'

Spyro and Cynder couldn't help but flush a little with embarrassment, but Clauk continued without interruption. He turned to look toward the eastern corner of the city, eyeing a small cluster of towers.

'While it's the furthest from the baths and market, and equally distant from the Council chambers, the Starlight Towers are reserved for the dragons and moles interested in scholarly endeavours. The Towers have the Library dome next door at their base, and contain many bridges and openings for dragons to fly in and out of. While most large buildings allow dragons to roost on top, the Towers are specifically designed for star-gazing. A strange activity, but some dragons take to it more than others. These roosts have the best view by far in all of Warfang. There are also piles of dragon parchment and writing materials in the Dome. One tower is purpose-built for residence, but only for dragons, with the main entrance being a wide external balcony to save space for the interior, where the central column is hollow to allow travel up and down for visitors with a large spiral staircase. Unfortunately, none live there now, and it might be a bit... dusty.'

He exhaled heavily, but looked satisfied at his rendition of the choices, turning to face the young dragons expectantly. 'I'll give you two a minute to decide.'

Spyro and Cynder quickly turned away and moved their faces together, Cynder speaking first.

'I really like the Residential area. It's the closest to the exit, so it'll be easier to leave to go exploring. And the baths sound... pretty appealing.'

Spyro nodded slowly. 'I know what you mean... but the problem is that pretty soon we're probably going to join the Guardians often when they get back... but I suppose regular wing exercise wouldn't hurt too much. Good thing we can fly pretty fast over this place.'

'What would you like though, Spyro?'

He emitted a sheepish grin. 'I... I dunno, but the Towers sound perfect for me. I love the idea of reading and being able to see the Avalar valley out a window... but right now, it'd silly to go there, as I have no idea where things are supposed to go and how it even works.'

Quickly understanding his meaning, Cynder nodded and they both turned back to Clauk, who was eyeing some meat on display hungrily.

'Clauk?'

His attention quickly snapped back to attention. 'Ah! You've made a decision?'

Spyro let Cynder talk. 'We'd like to go to the Residential area for now... until the others get back, anyway. We don't have much reason to live anywhere else, since we know barely anything about how to live in a city.'

Clauk nodded with approval. 'Indeed, it takes some getting used to, with more rules and consideration of others than you're most likely used to. But it is quite comfortable once you do.'

He struck his wings out suddenly as if to stretch. 'Good! Let's get moving.'

* * *

><p>The sun was beginning to set as they arrived, casting orange shadows over the stonework. Clauk seemed to know his way well, deliberately leading them around corners through a shaded route, stating that with the recent war and magma activity, the stone was hotter than what even dragons were used to. The few scattered mole and dragon residents seemed ecstatic at seeing Spyro and Cynder and rushed forward to greet and congratulate them, but Clauk quickly sent them off politely as Spyro and Cynder grew more worn out after each encounter.<p>

After passing through gardens, warehouses, and a few more scattered citizens, they finally arrived at a distinct green rune-adorned arch. The arch was just as wide as the gates they entered through. Cynder initially thought the place was a bit boring as most buildings in sight followed the same design: a lengthy ground level with a flat roof, and a smaller dome on the top with an entrance onto the makeshift balcony. However, the scale of the entire area hit hard as they drew closer, the young dragons quickly feeling dwarfed at how far the pavement stretched; she guessed the paths through the entire district ran at least a mile. Each house itself seemed a mansion; even though each was no more than two storeys, the levels were at least five metres high – ten in total, making the loft domes point out like round mini-towers. Each house was adorned with different colours, decorations and other odd ornaments, along with surrounding vegetation for each one, most often allowed to grow wild on the grassy fields only separated by the stone pathways. Given that the place was meant for dragons, the lush fields were quite widespread, allowing much space for walking around and flying – creating an effective illusion of an entire village contained in one district.

On the stonework in front of them, clearly marked pathways were painted pointing them in several directions, with elements used for separate districts – Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Light and Dark. Spyro found this curious, as they weren't the names used by the Guardians, but he quickly put it from his mind as Clauk stopped at the first crossroad pavement.

'Is there any real difference between these... houses?' Cynder asked.

'Not really,' Clauk answered, 'it only gives some direction where each type of dragon would typically live, helping new arrivals to integrate. The Earth district is where I live – it's the second on the left. It's not very easy to gauge the borders of each district, though for good reason; most dragons don't want to be separated too much from other types, even by imaginary borders.'

The pathways led into many different areas, but on their right, towards the entrance to the city, the buildings were further apart with surrounding pathways leading down to the lower tiers of the city, only cordoned off by similar wide entrance arches. On their left, however, the six districts lined up next to each other, each one having another arch separated from the next by a thick wall with parapets on the top, allowing dragons to roost. Spotting the inside of each arch, Cynder could tell the broad houses inside were arranged in a circle, all facing a central courtyard; a place, presumably, where dragons might have met each other in the mornings and evenings. Her eyes briefly fell as she considered how many families, friends, siblings or even lovers were killed during the war, leaving the place rather empty and silent as it was now.

Spyro eyed her worriedly for a second, and then gestured to the first house on the left as they had come in, presumably in the Fire district. Its adornments were red and gold – the walls mostly red and the roofs gold – and it was surrounded by a healthy array of lush vegetation. 'We'll take that one, Clauk.'

Clauk nodded sincerely. 'Do you require any more help?'

'Only one thing...' Spyro began uncertainly. 'Do we need to... pay for it? These houses... they might as well be mansions.'

Clauk's eyes widened in shock, as if Spyro was suggesting he destroy the house. 'No! Don't be silly, Spyro, the world owes you and Cynder far more than a residence.'

The purple dragon smiled with relief. 'OK... what if we wanted to move? Our duties might change soon...'

'... Provided you will have any at all.' Clauk finished. 'I think you've earned a break, though you are welcome to assist the moles in rebuilding tomorrow or whenever you wish. Did you want to go and see Mason tomorrow with me? He may be able to tell you more.'

Cynder managed to smile appreciatively alongside her purple companion. 'That'd be nice, Clauk, thank you.'

Clauk beamed, excited to be helping the two heroes at hand. 'Excellent! I'll be waiting for you at this gate at two-Solus.'

Spyro and Cynder both stared at him blankly, embarrassed at not knowing at all what he meant. 'Is that the... time?' Spyro asked.

Clauk stared back for a moment before blinking in realisation. 'Oh... sorry, I forgot your um... experience. Solus and Lunos stand for day and night, marked by individual markers on the sundials. Every house here has one – well, the furbished ones anyway – on their balconies. There's one right here in the middle of the pathway – take a look.'

He led them a short distance to the first crossroads, not realising there was a small raised platform in the centre. Like the earth guard said, a sundial stood on the dais, a long shadow piercing its golden metal edge. It was only twice the size of their smaller paws.

'See how the shadow is between two black lines near the top left? Those two lines are the numbers ten and eleven. Given its distance between them, I'd call it approximately ten-twenty-one-Solus, as it's still daytime. Night typically begins at twelve-Solus, or zero-Lunos.' He pointed a single claw to two increments from the upper-central line. 'This one is two. Tomorrow morning at dawn, the shadow will be somewhat concealed, but easy enough to make out without interfering lights, and will start at the centre line at the top. After two hours, it will have moved two increments.'

Spyro nodded firmly. Cynder cocked her head thoughtfully.

'How do you see a shadow at night?'

'Moonlight.' Clauk answered immediately, but grimaced uncertainly. 'But... well, the moon's orbit is too irregular for an accurate time – at least compared to the sun. The stargazers have worked out their own unique system for using the sundials in this manner, but I won't bore you with the details now.'

'But what if it's cloudy?' Spyro asked. 'This system would become useless.'

Clauk chuckled. 'Well, it's not perfect, I admit, but it's worked well enough for us so far.' Spotting their concerned glances at each other, he shrugged. 'Don't worry; I'll wake you up if you oversleep.'

'Fair enough.' Spyro said happily. 'See you tomorrow then, Clauk.'

As the earth dragon flew off, the two almost stumbled through the door as Cynder opened it, collapsing on two large gold, silky cushions in sight after Spyro shut the door. Overcome by the day's mental and physical exertions, they fell asleep almost immediately.


	4. The Gathering

Chapter 3

The Gathering

* * *

><p>Sparx was flying through the air as fast as his thing wings could carry him. He flew high enough that he startled a mole patrolling the central rampart by the main gate. Sparx quickly spun around towards the mammal, not spotting any obvious signs of Spyro or Cynder, bringing himself to rest in front of the mole's face, panting his words out.<p>

'SPYRO. CYNDER. WHERE!?'

The mole smiled at him happily. 'You must be Sparx! Yes, Spyro and Cynder have arrived, as it's been circulated among the guards. You'll find them in the Fire district of the residential area. Just look for the giant houses in a line – I believe they're in the first one on the left from the western entrance.'

Sparx simply nodded shortly before he sped off, coming down to the ground to catch his breath in the thicker air. He'd caught sight of the so-called area: a bunch of houses side by side that had oddly boring designs? That must be it.

He flew upwards again, and upon catching sight of the massive houses, zoomed towards the left arch, quickly finding the building the guard spoke of. For a second, he doubted whether he'd be able to find his brother in the very-large mansion; though he was used to that feeling in the Dragon Temple. He examined it for a second, a sense of familiarity creeping through him.

_Figures Spyro would choose this one. Its colours... kinda remind me of Ignitus._

He flew up to one of the front windows to peer inside. To his surprise, Spyro and Cynder were in clear view, asleep on personal cushions bigger than themselves. His heart leapt in his chest to see that they were safe, but he couldn't help but wonder how they'd gotten back so fast.

He gently pressed down on the window pane and it rotated on horizontal hinges, and he slipped inside quietly. He was tempted to wake them both up, but decided against it. He wasn't sure he could even if he wanted to; they were like immovable dragon statues except for the fact they were breathing.

He smiled as he flew for a closer examination. _Aww... they're so cute... except for the horns, the claws, and big jaws that could eat me anytime they wanted..._

He reflected on his childhood when he ended up on the receiving end of Spyro's mouth when waking him up on bad mornings.

Shaking away the scary images, he looked around for a place to sleep, and settled on a bookshelf, quickly getting the idea of using one as a bed. The bookshelf was embedded into an entire wall and filled with books, though he didn't care enough to read any titles. The walls were mostly red, adorned with golden depictions of cities, statues, and some of the stranger creatures that existed in the world, including those things he called 'freaky turtle monsters'. With the light fading, it was hard for him to make them all out, but these designs appeared to be metal woven finely into the proper shapes and fitted together seamlessly. Whoever lived here must have been rich, he guessed.

Yawning, he glided down to the middle shelf into a bare space, moving a book into open position and planting himself so he could use several pages as a blanket. He mused to himself one final time before dozing off, Spyro and Cynder in plain sight as he raised his head.

_It's not home, but it'll do. _

* * *

><p>Clauk was musing over meeting the fabled purple dragon, when he caught the scent of a horde of moving bodies – including dragons, moles and cheetahs alike. Several other guards gathered on the western ramparts to see a large crowd approaching the gates. Quickly spotting the regal Guardians at the forefront, Clauk called down to the moles to open up. Several small bodies scrambled up to separate contraptions surrounding the gate; four moles and two dragons each working on separate contraptions. The gate slowly curved inward as the attached joints were pulled until the gates lay open. Clauk swooped down to meet the Guardians out of the main path to allow the refugees to enter the city and return to their homes.<p>

'Terrador, sir!' He greeted the Earth Guardian with a salute to his helm. 'With Volteer and Cyril! It's good to see you come back; we've been waiting for you.'

Terrador managed a smile before his expression grew more serious. 'What is the situation? Has anyone else returned?'

Clauk nodded quickly. 'Spyro and Cynder have arrived, sir.'

He paused as the three Guardians beamed simultaneously, but after a moment he continued. 'However, we haven't had any other groups come back yet...'

'Odd.' Clauk, startled at the low voice, looked up as he saw Hunter sitting atop a stack of crates, eyeing the city's interior curiously. 'Talon insisted they were near on our tails.'

'Perhaps, Hunter...' Volteer interjected, '... they will arrive later on in the night?'

Terrador nodded in agreement. 'Sounds rather likely, I'm afraid.'

'Clauk, young chap!' Cyril voiced earnestly. 'I hate to ask this of you and your fellow guards, but you may need to stay on patrol for a few hours longer. I understand your duties have left you rather tired of all this...'

'Not at all, sir.' Clauk stood resolute. 'This city has been empty for what feels like forever. I'll be glad to help the rest of your groups to their homes once they arrive.' He grimaced uncomfortably. 'But... the other guards might not be so willing...'

'Just do what you can.' Terrador rumbled. 'We need to get back to the Council chambers to begin sorting out work that needs doing... amongst a myriad of other issues I'm guessing will arise...'

Clauk nodded and bowed. 'Then speed on your wings.'

The Guardians returned the gesture, and he watched as they spread their wings and flew overhead towards the upper echelon. Hunter sprung to action as well, a falcon flying alongside, leaping up the steps with agility that left Clauk green with envy.

_I wonder if Hunter will become a Councilman too..._

He groaned as he eyed the several guards awaiting the news at the top of the ramparts. _Ugh... time to break the news. _

* * *

><p>Hunter parted ways from the guardians just before the Council chambers and the Grand Hall. Living most of his life as a nomad, Hunter knew where he would stay tonight, as Talon flew forward to a familiar scent.<p>

After alighting the final flight of stairs, Hunter looked around the flat courtyard, filled with large stone obelisks, depicting a long line of notable figures in history. Some were ruined, but Hunter inwardly hoped that enough of the dragon's history was intact for the stoneworkers to one day restore them.

He turned left towards a round wooden outpost jutting out over the stone wall's edge. It was full of large holes exposed towards the city, and filled with familiar chattering and calls. He passed through the entrance flap of cloth, smiling at the many sets of beady eyes staring at him.

'I'm here, my friends.'

Several falcons leapt from their respective perches and stood at his feet, chattering happily as Talon joined them and Hunter knelt down. Some of them couldn't help but nip at his hands, expecting food, earning a tickled chuckle from the cheetah.

'Sorry, maybe next time.'

After spending a few minutes stroking their feathers and accounting for them as they hopped back into the perches, lined in rows along with wooden walls, he counted them up and exhaled with relief as he found all of them accounted for. The last he'd seen of them, they'd followed him and the other dragons to the dam before he had to send them away to the outlying regions.

_Thank the ancestors for the wind's speed..._

He mused over how he would feed the birds a well-deserved meal, and made plans to go out tomorrow, perhaps alongside some dragons. They would need meat as well, with the moles perhaps appreciating a few bags of berries and fruit.

Terrador had called for Hunter to meet them in the hall at one-Solus. Leaning his back against a wall blanketed by hay, he wrapped his cloak tightly and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>Despite Volteer's cheerful chattering about the outcome of the war, and the prospect of seeing Spyro and Cynder alive and well once they woke, Terrador and Cyril eyed the city grimly atop the stone steps after picking out their temporary quarters from the caverns. The war had taken its toll upon the entire city, including all its inhabitants. Deeply, Terrador felt direct sympathy for the moles. Their stature left many victims in the war's wake, and all because of their direct association with the dragons. He needed them to understand the dragons appreciated their sacrifices in assisting them – as well as the cheetahs who came to their defence.<p>

'No need to be so despondent, Terrador.' Volteer stated with encouragement out of the corner of his eye. 'Dragons and moles cooperated to build this city; they can handle a transformation just as well.'

Cyril shook his head solemnly. 'Stone is not the only thing lost in this sight.'

Volteer looked downtrodden for only a moment, before raising his head firmly. 'I know what you mean, my friend. However, this is not the first calamity that's befallen us, and it may not be the last. Yet somehow, we've always come back to recover from it. That's something that I cannot explain in scientific terms – but I am grateful for it, regardless.'

Cyril's expression softened a little. 'Even the Ice dragons such as myself were not enough to turn the tide. It was Spyro. Perhaps it is he?'

Terrador's nostrils bristled hopefully. 'You're both right; and wrong, in a way.'

At their confused, and in Cyril's case, insulted gazes, Terrador raised his head to the sky.

'The Spirits of those three comrades shone that day. The sky marked it. You saw it too, didn't you?'

Volteer and Cyril raised their brows in understanding, giving their comrade a slow nod.

'I wonder where Ignitus is...' Cyril murmured.

They all feared the worst, but didn't let the implication reach them. They couldn't until they had the answers; that's what Ignitus taught them in his own way.

Terrador sighed heavily before turning away from the sight of the damaged city. The list of things to account for would only grow the next day; he knew the feeling too well from the last few years of avid war. He resigned himself to his quarters; feeling through the ground that Volteer and Cyril weren't far behind.

* * *

><p>Spyro found himself reluctantly stirring the next morning, an annoying ray of sunlight shining through his eyelids. After a few minutes of trying to shut it out, he reluctantly shifted his weight and got off of his lumpy cushion. He made a mental note not to sit on that cushion in the same position again, judging from the ache on his flank's side.<p>

He quickly frowned, feeling a familiar presence in the room. Or rather, he heard the faint sounds of soft snoring coming from the bookshelf. He crept forward towards it with slight apprehension, wondering if the house was plagued by vermin; but relaxed when he recognised the sound. He smiled warmly at the insect abdomen sticking out the bottom of an open book's pages.

_Sparx managed to find us on his own..._

He carefully took the book out and laid it on the floor in front of him, peeling the pages off of Sparx and gently prodding him with the edge of a paw's digit. 'Sparx... wake up. It's Spyro.'

Sparx opened his mouth with half lidded eyes. 'Eh? Wh-'

When his eyes widened, Spyro hastily covered his mouth with the same digit, jerking his head over at Cynder. _'Roof.' _He mouthed.

Sparx nodded dumbly, taking great efforts to keep his mouth shut. He followed Spyro through a short hallway exiting the room, quickly going up a wide staircase. Spyro seemed to struggle a little at the steps' size. Overall, the stairwell was closed off but high grey walls until they met the burst of light on the balcony.

'Spyro!'

Spyro's cheek was immediately covered in happy dragonfly, pressing into his side with more force than he expected. While it stung a little, Spyro simply draped his paw over Sparx warmly.

'It's nice to see you too, Sparx.'

Sparx, once pried off Spyro's face, suddenly couldn't stop his mouth moving at the overload of questions pouring out his mouth.

'When'd you get back? What happened out there? Is Malefor gone? And...' Sparx paused, breathing for air, before grinning cheekily. 'Did you put on weight?'

Spyro simply rolled his eyes in response. 'Cynder and I got back yesterday evening. We stopped by Hunter's village for some food – and I haven't gained weight!'

Sparx folded his arms smugly. 'Says you. But ya still kind of look beat up. I imagine it was pretty rough out there, huh?'

Spyro's posture suddenly sagged, and Sparx raised his brow with concern. 'Oh. I guess you're not ready to um... spill the beans, yet?'

'I suppose not...' Spyro admitted reluctantly, before looking up towards the city behind them. 'I'd rather save it all for Terrador and the others, when we're all together. Sorry, Sparx.'

Sparx waved his hand casually, adopting a cheerful grin. 'Ah, I can cut you some slack this time. You did save the world, after all.'

Sparx's eyes fell to the floor, and he cleared his throat uncomfortably. 'So... you and Cynder living together now, or somethin'?'

Spyro looked a little confused. 'I guess so, yeah. Problem?'

Sparx eyed around shiftily, pressing his hands together. 'I just wondering... how sleeping arrangements would work with the three of us... and if you two were... sharing a room...'

After a moment, Spyro's face flushed hotly. 'Sparx! It's not like that.'

He was answered with a cheeky prod in his face. 'Gotcha!'

Spyro eyed the victorious dragonfly tiredly. 'Ugh... remind me why I saved the world, exactly?'

Sparx began counting his fingers. 'Hm... let's see, there's Terrador, Cyril, Volteer, the swamp, the moles, Hunter, the cheetahs, Mason – '

'OK OK!' Spyro exhaled heavily. 'Let's just get ready.'

Sparx shrugged for a moment before grinning again. 'By the way, remind I owe you a salad.' He didn't wait to see Spyro's confused reaction and went back down the staircase, looking for a snack or some water. Spyro's eyes flicked around until he found what he was looking for – the sundial on a raised dais near the edge of the balcony. It was built into a sort of guard rail of stone surrounding the roof's balcony to the side, and looked identical to the one down in the courtyard square apart from the gold metal surrounding it.

_I'm guessing it's one-twenty-Solus._

Seeing that Clauk hadn't yet arrived, he explored the house a little more. Given it was built to house an entire family of dragons, he felt very small in the large doorways and rooms, leaving him curious as to what secrets it might hold. He groaned inwardly; forty minutes wasn't enough time to go through the whole place. However, he couldn't help but grin. It only just dawned on him that he could do whatever he wanted to do; apart from some work, he could go exploring the city with Cynder and Sparx. Given the size of it so far, he guessed it would take months to even do that. And then there were the books in their own house he wanted to start reading.

He decided to start with the large dome directly behind him. There were a couple of wide entrances he didn't bother to go through before now. He scampered around and chose the entrance to the left after passing under the shade of the stone ceiling.

Drawing apart the red drapes with his head, he found himself in a strange room. Against a large clear window made of glass, was a massive, elliptical, orange-stone basin that would fit an entire dragon inside it, with what looked like soft pads on either side to place wings. Looking around further, he quickly surmised it was a bathroom of some sort, with an empty shelf that might have held lotions or medicine on the right, along with a raised washing basin a third the size of the bath against the left wall. The walls were also coated with a sky blue rather than the usual red to separate it from the rest of the building. Above the washing basin was a square mirror big enough for a dragon to examine his entire body, though Spyro smiled to himself at what dragon would enjoy such a thing.

He crept towards the dragon-bath, spotting a large nozzle and a wooden lever right next to it. It looked capable of delivering a large volume of water over time. Spyro guessed that a dragon would be able to change the temperature to their liking – though he surmised that it only applied to fire dragons. He spotted a large pipe jutting from the wall, though it wasn't visible from the outside; most likely inbuilt into the thick stone wall. He didn't spot anything like a toilet; he guessed that dragons would relieve themselves... elsewhere.

Shrugging, he decided to test out the wash-basin, which had a smaller nozzle but similar mechanism. Pulling the lever with a _click _while standing on three legs, a steady stream of cold water streamed upwards, and he quickly put his snout in its path, taking some through his mouth before he shut it off.

Looking up to the mirror, he was suddenly frozen to the spot. It just occurred to him that he hadn't seen his reflection since his first visit to the Valley of Avalar, and he couldn't help but feel inadequate. His muscles were lean and defined, but the rest of his body looked rather sickly and thin. He knew he hadn't been eating properly for a while, so he didn't pay that fact much heed. However, his scales were covered in a mixture of grime, dirt and blood that hadn't quite faded away, leaving his once lustrous scales looking rather dull. He also touched his claws and horns, finding them more blunted than he remembered. For some inexplicable reason, he wanted to correct these blemishes as soon as possible, and set to splashing himself with more liquid with a wing.

'Spyro, what's taking you so long?'

Spyro blinked and realised the front half of his head was buried in a pool of water. Feeling rather foolish, he shut off the stream and let it drain away, but Sparx flew between the drapes before he finished, staring at his brother oddly.

'What... are you doing?'

Spyro opened his mouth, but couldn't think of a convincing answer. 'I... I'm not sure, Sparx. Forget about it.'

Sparx examined him with concern. 'I dunno... looked like you were trying to drown yourself. It couldn't have been that bad-'

'I wasn't!' Spyro protested. 'Let's just go, alright? Is Cynder awake yet?'

Sparx shook his head, though with disappointment or relief, Spyro couldn't tell. 'Not yet, but I'm all ready to go. How 'bout you?'

They leapt down the staircase carefully, and arrived to see Cynder yawning into her pillow, her emerald eyes examining them drearily. 'Uh... what time is it, Spyro?'

'Time to get up.' Sparx stated shortly, causing her to squint at his glimmering shape. 'Is that... Sparx?'

He smiled warmly at her as he approached. 'Sure is.'

She smiled back, but was unsure what else to do, sitting there awkwardly. Sparx broke the silence as he looked to his brother.

'You kept your promise. I... I knew you would.' He smiled at her warmly. 'You're... alright, Cynder.'

She glanced away in slight embarrassment. 'Well... thanks, Sparx. You did your job well too, it seems. Is everyone else with you?'

Sparx nodded. 'Our group came in last night. Some dragons might be next door right now! Who knows?'

Spyro quickly raised his head to peek outside, and cleared his throat. 'Cynder, Clauk's waiting at the gate now. We should get going.'

Cynder gave a small groan but quickly fell into step beside the brothers as they pushed one of the large doors open. Awaiting them, Clauk greeted them cheerfully, this time without his armour, and his eyes showed faint shadows below them.

'Morning! Slept well?'

Spyro nodded sheepishly. 'Yeah... but like you said, it takes some getting used to.'

Cynder examined him carefully. 'You look like you didn't sleep much at all. Did something happen?'

Clauk couldn't help but yawn widely with faint tears at the edges of his eyelids. 'Pay it no heed; it was for a worthy cause. I stayed up until all the evacuees from Warfang returned... so I only got a couple of hours.'

Spyro, Cynder and Sparx looked to each other with relief. 'They're all back! Finally!'

Sparx then raised a brow quizzically from behind his brother's head. 'Who's this guy?'

'Oh, I beg your pardon.' Clauk gave a small bow. 'I didn't get a chance to meet you, Sparx, but it's an honour to do so.'

Sparx stared at him warily. 'Seriously? For real? No dragon's said that to me before.'

Clauk simply smiled, and looked down to the young dragons expectantly, turning to expose his flank. 'Can you all fly? Terrador and the Guardians are already in session with Mason, but they'll be a while yet – so there's no hurry if you want to stop on the way.'

Cynder flexed her wings and gave a pleased grunt, the ache from before almost gone. She spoke up quickly. 'Actually – can we get a snack? I'm not sure how it usually works around here, but I'm starving.'

Sparx raised a hand. 'I could use a butterfly.' Spyro opened his mouth, but Sparx quickly cut him off with a small shove. 'And a big salad for Spyro here.'

Spyro rolled his eyes, but Clauk simply grinned. 'I'm sure the market will have enough meat for you two. As for bugs... well, you could try your luck with the nearby gardens? Bug populations would mean healthy plants all around, hopefully.'

Sparx was happily silent as Spyro and Cynder opened their wings and followed Clauk in a hover-glide over the market district. After a couple of minutes, Clauk broke into a gradual dive at the sight of fish being strung up, and all of their stomachs lurched hungrily at the salty smell; including Sparx.

A mole merchant was moving baskets of more fish when he spotted his awaiting customers. 'Ah! Clauk again. And... my goodness! Spyro and Cynder! How can I help you?'

Sparx grimaced miserably as if to say '_what about me?' _as Clauk pointed to the three of them with one wing. 'We would appreciate a snack each, Kodar – the usual.'

'You bet!' Kodar ducked inside his small stall and using a pair of tongs, unloaded a smoking metal tray with freshly-roasted salmon upon long skewers. 'Take as many as you want – on the house.'

'Seriously?' Spyro asked in disbelief.'I feel bad taking your pickings like this...'

'Nonsense!' Kodar objected heartily, pounding his chest respectfully. 'It's a fine time to be generous, young dragons.' He smiled up at Cynder too. 'Don't be surprised if you get free produce regularly, at least for a while. The economy needs some sorting out before we need to worry about prices and whatnot.'

Cynder gave him a stunned look before he raised a skewer in offering to her, while Spyro and Clauk had already taken theirs. 'Eat up, young dragon! No need to be embarrassed; you two are growing adolescents, after all.'

'Um... thanks.' Cynder managed to smile and take in the scent of her fish before she began ripping fleshy chunks off the morsel whilst holding it in one paw.

As Kodar sent them off with a wave, Sparx folded his arms impatiently as he hovered after them. 'Clauk, you said something about gardens?'

Clauk still had a mouthful and simply raised his head up to their left, signalling the presence of rows and rows of aligned plants, with many ripe fruit being picked by mole workers. Amongst the rows of plants, Sparx was drawn in by the familiar flecks of lopsided wings.

'Butterflies – come to papa!'

'Don't eat too many!' Clauk warned. 'If you do, there might not be as many next season.'

Whether the dragonfly heard, they didn't know, as his gold glow sped between the leaves faster than their eyes could follow. They waited a few minutes; Clauk managing a few winks of sleep, and Sparx thankfully refrained from catching too many just as they finished their fish. Spyro and Cynder burned their leftovers to a crisp while Clauk simply ground the remains between and shovelled them down; somewhat uncomfortably. After swallowing, he glanced at the trio expectantly.

'I presume you're all ready?' At their unfurled wings on either side of him, he nodded with approval. 'Very well. Let's...' He stifled a yawn. 'Let's go.'

* * *

><p>Mason stroked his small furry goatee at the deliberations before him with the Grand Hall. He remembered feeling the familiar sense of awe that never left him whenever he climbed those steps. The Hall's exterior was only adorned with one figure – a pair of great feathered wings gleaming with colours of the rainbow which were visible at different angles. The wings were slightly folded on either side, filling the walls with their presence. Only the main doors contained the creature's body –like a bird's, but its tail feathers were many and spread over the entire lower section of the design. Its head was by far the smallest part of its body, but by no means the least noticeable – its eyes carefully cut from rare sapphires that Mason had donated himself. To this day, he'd never regretted the mutual friendship between the moles and dragons, though right now, some of that friendship seemed under strain.<p>

Several of his co-workers were presenting their summary of the level of damage to the city and the potential costs to repair them. They were more than a little disgruntled with the situation – with an odd feeling that their sworn allies weren't making themselves as useful as they could, along with their seemingly absent people; but Mason knew that most were needed out in battle.

'We have already finished the infrastructure repairs,' one chief engineer began, '... and the dragons benefit from this just as much as we do! If things are going to work around here, the dragons will need to pull their weight, coming out of a war or not.'

Cyril maintained a civil tone throughout the discussion. 'You understand, as well as we do, what the moles have done in sheltering and catering to our needs for war. We didn't want innocent moles to lose their lives in battle; that which we dragons are clearly further suited to.'

Volteer cleared his throat immediately at the scowls Cyril received. 'What he means to say is that we fully intend to repay our debt to the moles – the only question is the means to do so.'

As they began to discuss the burden of resources, Mason nonchalantly examined the hall's interior and the large stone table upon which the workers had dumped some of their charts and figures. The hall itself extended for quite a length down the middle, large lancet windows projecting beams of sunlight down through the hallway like a sunlight ladder. The windows themselves were five times the height of an adult dragon; though Mason had always wondered why the hall needed to be so tall, given that dragons didn't fly inside. One enormous rose window, spokes of coated ceramic colours projecting outwards in a large disc, gave way to the rolling hills down from the Warfang's peak, though Mason rarely got to see it given his stature. The stonework all over the building was significantly more lustrous than that of the rest of the city's – giving it the look of a massive polished urn.

The stage the three Guardians stood upon contained several alcoves marked only by the now unlit torch pillars on the edges of the curved wall. There looked to be six alcoves arranged in a gentle arc, presumably for the Guardians to face the audience at the same time. Oddly enough, each round platform was large enough to fit two large dragons comfortably, making them partially filled by their current occupants. The steps leading up to the alcoves gave the large dragons an intimidating posture even to their brethren of similar size; though Mason and his co-workers had been here enough times to resist this mental effect. The Guardians took their places in odd standing positions, where Terrador was on the fifth alcove from the left, Cyril the second, and Volteer on the very right. The two central alcoves had been vacant for Mason's entire lifetime; a fact that left him immovably sympathetic to their race; only amplified at Ignitus being absent from the first alcove now after the war.

'The main problem can possibly be solved with salvaging,' Terrador rumbled gently. 'The other dragons and we can set to work gathering the rubble others cannot move, and with time and effort, mould them into the proper shapes to be fit for reconstruction. As for finding more, given that some would be unsalvageable... we can send teams into the wilderness to other ruins and gather stone from them. Any future settlements will take priority after Warfang is restored.' He frowned with resolution. 'Right now, gathering the races here and restoring stability to the continent should be our foremost task.'

Cyril and Volteer looked pleased, and even most of the dozen engineers looked satisfied with the answer. Mason nodded with approval at the proposal.

'An apt decision. However, you will need our help in order to cut the stone into the right dimensions. There's a reason Warfang has stood for so long, and I intend to keep it that way.'

'Agreed.'

The unanimous grunts from the Guardians signified an end to this meeting for now. The engineers couldn't help but smile with relief knowing that they wouldn't have much work in the immediate future, at least until the dragons had finished with molding stone. Their underlings could handle the simple task of giving measurements to the earth dragons.

Mason had an inkling that he should stay and accompany the dragons with their future meetings. On the way, he saw another group already lining up for an audience, and from the tired looks the Guardians displayed, he knew they would appreciate any friendly support.

'Mind if I stay, my fellows?' He squeaked up at them from the base of the stairs. 'You look like you've worked an entire day in the underground pressure forge.'

'Waging a war, then dealing with its aftermath... will produce a similar effect, I imagine. Though not to the degree of eviscerations and numerous burns...' Volteer stretched his body achingly. 'Really, this is not at all what I'm used to. I'd much rather chat about lightning storms, low pressure systems, or even gossip! All this is too... serious, and coupled with the strenuous tasks and expectations of an entire city is unbecoming for only a trio of leaders.. how I wish for a long period submerged in the bath basin...!'

'Well, deal with it.' Cyril responded sharply. 'We have to do our best as the only leaders this city has.'

After a couple of minutes, Mason looked towards the door warily as the massive stone doors opened up by the guards on either side. 'Looks like the next group awaits your counsel. I believe they were dragons...'

The two small figures, one even smaller flying beside, caused him to stare. 'Not... those dragons...'

'Spyro?' Terrador murmured breathlessly. 'And his friends... they're together again.'

Mason covered his hat from the burst of air as the three dragons recklessly leapt off their alcoves to meet the new arrivals before they got to the table, Spyro beaming as he approached them, leaving Cynder and Sparx to watch the scene.

'I'm... we're back.'

The Guardians were speechless for a few moments, seeing him alive and well after disappearing through the Belt of Fire, warmed their hearts more than they could convey in words. Eventually, Terrador stepped forward and lowered his head to Spyro's, lowering a wing to touch Spyro's crest gently.

'Welcome back, Spyro.' He raised his head again to smile over at Cynder and Sparx. 'And we have you two to thank as well! Though Sparx has been with us already...' When Cynder hesitated, Volteer beckoned awkwardly with his wing as well as a claw. 'Come now, young dragon, there's nothing to fear from friends.'

Cynder managed to crack a smile before approaching alongside Spyro. 'You'll forgive me if I'm not used to... sappy reunions.'

'Ah... nonsense.' Cyril objected somewhat jokingly. 'We've still got some serious business to attend to.' He eyed the two dragons sympathetically. 'We need to know what transpired, you two. How did you defeat Malefor? What happened up there?'

* * *

><p>Everyone quickly sat on their haunches except Sparx, rooted in place by the tale. Spyro and Cynder retold their sombre trip through the Desolate Lands, their trip through the Floating Islands, the battle with Malefor, and worst of all, Ignitus' sacrifice. At this, Spyro had to stop talking for a moment, unable to coherently form a sentence after Ignitus was left behind in the impenetrable wall of fire. The three Guardians bowed their heads solemnly, well knowing how Spyro looked up to him and the despair at having to lose him.<p>

Volteer looked uncharacteristically morbid at the revelation, keeping his eyes closed and his face low to the floor even after Cyril and Terrador recovered. 'Ignitus... may you find peace among the Ancestors greatest...'

He stayed like that for a few more moments, to the point where Cyril lowered his head alongside him. 'You doing well there, Volteer?'

'I'm... I'm fine.' He murmured, exhaling heavily, finally raising his head and allowing Cynder to continue for a time, Spyro still peering at the floor.

As the two dragons recounted their battle with Malefor in detail, Sparx couldn't help but start biting on his fingers fearfully, especially when they began falling through the volcano and deeper into the planet's core. Cynder could have sworn he nearly fainted a couple of times.

'Um... Sparx?' She interrupted once Spyro had finished. 'We left you behind so you would be safe, not die of shock when we came back.'

'B-but, but... Malefor's not dead!? What's stopping him from back?'

The Guardians paused thoughtfully, though Volteer was quick to speak up.

'Fascinating...' He mused over the implications of Malefor's apparent demise. 'It sounds like those original ancestors who first sealed Malefor's power away in the Well of Souls.'

Cyril nodded to himself. 'It could very well be. It sounded like a very close call, young dragons... without their spirits to help you, you wouldn't be here with us.'

Terrador frowned ever so slightly, his face a stone mask. 'While we're all glad that you managed to seal away Malefor's power and reverse the world's destruction... this matter may not be completely resolved. The last time Malefor was defeated by his own mentors, he remained dormant for several centuries.'

'So how long will Malefor stay down in the planet's core?' Cyril couldn't help but ask agitatedly. Terrador shrugged heavily.

'For all we know, it could be mere decades. Or he may never escape from there at all. We may never know. However...' The Earth Guardian looked to Spyro hopefully. 'He's never been defeated by one of his own. What do you know of Malefor, Spyro? I can almost hear your brow furrowing.'

Spyro found himself going through his memories, sifting his own abilities and development in comparison to Malefor. While their abilities were very much similar, with Malefor having more advanced abilities, there is something that he never used. It also occurred to him that he hadn't told them of what he learned from the Chronicler three years ago, of the nature of Malefor.

'Malefor was the first purple dragon...' Spyro began quietly. 'That's why he's never been defeated by a predecessor.'

Cyril simply nodded expectantly. 'We figured as much... the books and scrolls we have left mention Malefor in this manner. Is there anything more you can tell us, young dragon?'

'When I met the Chronicler, he told me that Malefor was the first purple dragon. But Malefor said that there had been many purple dragons between me and him. There had to be, if the prophecy is to make sense in our entire history. I... I don't think the entire history of our race only spans ten generations. I saw the mountains of books on it! But what happened to them?'

The Guardians could only peer at each other helplessly. 'We don't know, Spyro...' Terrador began. 'What we have mentions nothing about specific purple dragons. But what you say is true; our history spans many thousands of years. One dragon can live to be a thousand, after all. It is only another large chunk of lore lost to this madness.'

'Another thing...' Volteer wondered aloud. 'How... how in the Ancestor's name did you put the planet back together, Spyro?'

Spyro opened his mouth, but couldn't put his tail on it. Just how did he do it? The overwhelming sense of dread and hope he felt down there... and Cynder's comforting and fulfilling presence... his feelings alone, great as they were, weren't enough to explain what happened. One thing he did know; he'd never felt so sure of himself and what he was supposed to do, as if on instinct. There was only two other times he'd felt like that.

'I'm... not sure, Volteer. So much happened at once. I think I just... did it, like I knew I had to.'

Cyril closed his eyes thoughtfully. 'This... element, if you could call it that. Is there anything you can tell us? It might be the key to safeguarding our future against similar threats to Malefor.'

Spyro knew nothing other than what he'd felt and seen. The Chronicler mentioned nothing of it; that Malefor didn't seem to use it either, the most potent element he had being that of Convexity. When using Convexity himself, Spyro felt flowing anger and adrenaline throughout his body. Whatever this was, it was the complete opposite. He'd felt calm and serene, with an overwhelming desire to protect the living around him.

'I'm not sure what it is, Cyril. But... I've used it before, I think. When we were trapped in the Mountain of Malefor – I think I may have used it to protect us three from the rubble coming down... as well as when I freed Cynder from Malefor the first time around.'

What the Guardians did next only confused Spyro. He could see in their eyes that they knew something about it too, and scrutinised him with what looked like... pride. Yet it seemed different to simply being proud of him... like their attention was directed at something far bigger. But they didn't speak of it.

Cynder cleared her throat sharply. 'So what can we do now?'

'Nothing, I'm afraid.' Spyro and Cynder were taken aback by Cyril's quick answer. 'The planet's core is sealed off. If we try to tamper with it using our powers, not only do we risk harming the entire world, but also Malefor escaping prematurely when the world is still in a fragile state. The way I see it, Malefor will not be escaping any time soon – a prison in the centre of the planet is far more secure than below a mountain subject to the moons' movements. Spyro will have plenty of time to grow and learn, and if need be, fight him on equal terms if he ever escapes.' At Spyro's appalled expression, he quickly interjected himself. 'But I'm hoping that won't be necessary, Spyro. Malefor's escape may never happen, or outside of your lifetime. It's not something we can dwell on now.'

That wasn't what Spyro was truly afraid of, quickly speaking up. 'Cyril, I'm... if I did fight Malefor again, are you saying I need to... kill him?'

Cyril nodded coldly. 'Yes, you must; it's the only way to safeguard the world's future.'

'But I'm not sure I could do that. It was hard enough for me when I killed Gaul. Another dragon...'

Cyril opened his mouth slightly, and studying the other Guardian's expressions, shared their realisation just how young Spyro and Cynder were. Having so much death and war forced upon them like this was never their intent, but it was needed for the world's sake. They all wished, inwardly, that Spyro and Cynder would live their lives normally from now on, though Malefor's shadow may never leave them.

'Well!' Volteer spoke up brightly, trying to change the subject. 'Like Cyril said, it's not something to dwell on now. And all this grim talk fatigues me. You three can go about your business to explore the city if you want. Or if you want to help with some work, Mason here can point you in the right direction. And if ever you find the need for food, and the market's selection won't satisfy you, feel free to go hunting, but make sure you have company. If you go at night, it may be a good idea to ask one of the dragon guards to accompany you. It can still be dangerous to roam the landscape at night when the remnants of our enemies may still be in hiding.'

Mason looked up, but Sparx eyed him rather tiredly. 'Maybe some other time, eh? I feel like I've been flying forever.' He looked to his two companions. 'What about you guys?'

Cynder nodded. 'It does feel a little soon to get right back to work...'

'I suppose you're right.' Spyro agreed hesitantly, eyeing the mole apologetically. 'Sorry, Mason.'

'Don't you worry about it.' Mason responded graciously. 'Just come to me when you're ready, or you can offer help to some of my workers around the city whenever you feel an inkling.'

Sparx looked between them uncertainly at the prospect of flying through the city willy-nilly. 'I'm not sure if you guys noticed, but we barely know how the city works. I can't believe I'm asking this, but can you teach us anything about how to... you know, do things?'

The Guardians simply chuckled before Terrador shook his head. 'When it comes to city life, young Sparx, it's best for you to explore and learn yourself. Go around, talk to people. They can point you in the right direction. In fact, they may be far better experts than we are. The Council and Guardians can be... rather detracted from normal life, you see.'

When everyone looked ready to retire, Cynder found herself rooted to the spot. Would these people really be so accepting of her being one of them so easily? They had been grossly nice to her despite her past, and part of her believed there was some sort of trickery involved. She had to know for sure.

'Wait!' The Guardians stopped in their tracks to look back at her. 'What's really going on here? Is everyone just going to forgive and forget... me? What I've done to them?'

The Guardians simply glanced at each other as if they knew this was coming. 'And what have you done to them, Cynder?' Cyril asked calmly.

She was a little put off by the odd question; she never wanted to think about it. 'I... I attacked them, their villages... maybe destroyed them or killed alongside the apes...'

'But you don't know for sure, do you?' The Ice Guardian asked again.

'I...' Cynder gulped nervously, forcing herself to calm down. 'No, I don't. And... I don't want to, to be honest...'

'That's the mentality we've all taken with you, Cynder.' Terrador examined her sympathetically. 'Everyone knows that it wasn't your choice, and have seen fit to leave it in the past. Your current deeds for the world's sake, and for Spyro, have done more than enough to convince the people of Warfang of your allegiance and nobility. They are not so petty as to continue blaming you for things out of your control. No, your deeds were the Apes' and Malefor's doing, not your own.'

Cynder couldn't help but smile with relief. Though she doubted everyone in the city felt that way, it was good to know she wouldn't be hated by the majority of the populace. Perhaps Spyro's wish for her to live normally wasn't as far-fetched as she'd believed before.

Terrador stepped forward and gently touched the tip of her forehead with his wing as he'd done to Spyro's crest.

'Thank you... all of you. It means a lot to hear you say that... it really does.'

Terrador simply smiled gently as he stepped back, and Cyril smiled too. But then he hastily made a shooing motion with a claw. 'Up and out, young ones! You've indulged our curiosities long enough. Go out and enjoy yourselves for once! Ancestors know you've earned it. Go on, get!'

* * *

><p>Clauk was waiting for them patiently, though whether he had listened in from outside the door, they didn't know. He greeted them with another friendly smile as they exited the doors, watching another group of several dragons go in for their audience.<p>

'So what are your plans now? I'd be happy to show you around a bit more before I report back to the Bastion.'

Spyro and Cynder smiled appreciatively as they thought. Spyro was quick to answer. 'I dunno about you guys, but I want to see the baths.'

Sparx could only snicker. 'Why? Drowning in a wash bowl not good enough for you?'

Cynder could only stare at them, perplexed. 'Um... what?'

'Ignore him, Cynder.'

Clauk quickly nodded with approval. 'I'd guess you haven't had a real wash... well, not like the spring baths we have, let me tell you. Though, keep in mind it _is _a public place, so...'

The three were confused by the odd looks he was giving them. '...what?' Cynder asked.

'Let's just say there are unspoken rules about composure within. There's a good reason that there are two separate areas... as the caretakers found out the hard way when they left the males and females to their... own devices.'

Sparx could only stare in shock while Spyro and Cynder's faces heated up exponentially. 'Hey! We weren't going to do anything like that!' Spyro spoke up hotly.

Clauk simply sniggered lightly. 'I didn't say you were.'

Sparx quickly stuck his tongue out. 'Eugh! Keep your weird delusions to yourself next time!'

The earth guard simply tapped his chin lightly. 'Mm... no, don't think I will.'

'Can we just go there, please?' Spyro tried to ask politely, despite his increased heartbeat.

'Certainly.' As Clauk turned around and approached the stone platform's edge overlooking the city, he nosed down towards a wide-brimmed, circular building nestled to their right amidst the surrounding gardens and stair ramps. Several external water fountains were visible even this high up. It was coloured rather strangely – most of the stone was a dark blue to reflect the colour of the ocean, but another section that looked like a joined cut-out of a concave face was separated and was coloured a much lighter shade of cyan. There were no windows on the sides of the building, for good reason, Cynder guessed, especially after Clauk's little scolding. However, there were many large ceramic windows coating the top of its dome roof which looked to let in a lot of sunlight. She looked forward to seeing what the interior looked like.

As they took off after Clauk, he began speaking to them as he turned his head. 'I think I'll take my leave of you here. It would be somewhat inappropriate for me to watch, and besides I have to return to my post. However...' He grinned hopefully. 'If ever you want a guide or questions, you're welcome to come to me! I live just outside the gate to the Earth district – you can recognise my house by my rock sculpture of an Orc! It's... well, pretty bad. But that's what makes it unique!'

Spyro nodded respectfully. 'Thank you for your kindness, Clauk. We'll come visit if we have time.'

'... which you probably do.' Sparx finished for him.

Clauk nodded happily as he veered off to the left. 'I look forward to it!'

'Uh... bye!' Cynder called back a little awkwardly as he flew off.

As they glided down in silence for a while, Spyro couldn't but smile.

'He's nice.'

Sparx nodded half-heartedly. 'Yeah... a bit too nice, if you ask me. I think he's stalking us.'

Cynder snorted. 'Now who's delusional?'

Sparx rolled his eyes. 'Speaking of delusional... Spyro, why do you care about having a bath all of a sudden? I had to put up with your stench for years! Why bother changing now?'

'I told you before, Sparx, forget it.'

'Well I'd rather now what brought on the sudden change, smelly.'

Cynder grimaced with amusement at their bickering. 'I'd like to know as well, Spyro.'

Spyro groaned reluctantly. 'It's just... when I looked in the mirror this morning, I felt so... weird, seeing my scales look so dirty. I can't explain why I want to wash them, apart from simply being clean. I know it feels like more than that, but... I just need this, OK?'

Cynder nodded. 'That sounds fair enough. I didn't get a look at myself, though I can guess I've been neglecting my own hygiene in the face of... an entire war.'

Sparx could only emit a _hmph_ and as they neared the bath dome, they picked up speed in their descent, leaving Sparx lagging behind. They eyed the large adornment of a Leviathan, a three-flippered turtle creature, lying majestic in its oceanic artwork, surrounded by a disc of flowing waves. They slowed and landed lightly on it, and despite its exposure to sunlight, the surface felt cool to the touch. The stonework surrounding them on the ground was a pure white compared to the orange of the rest of the city – which explained its temperature.

The entrance was fashioned after an oval-topped arch with a gold rim. Just inside, they could see evidence of hot baths just from the steam that was pouring out occasionally. They saw a single rectangular window to its left; it looked like the caretaker's post, but they couldn't see him or her, wherever they were.

_That must be how they tolerate the heat – by letting air through their little room._

Spyro ventured forward first, sniffing the air to see if there were other dragons around. There didn't seem to be, but he caught a whiff of mole scent and another creature that he didn't recognise.

When Sparx finally caught up, they passed through the arch to be hit with an invisible blanket of humidity, causing Sparx to visibly grunt and spit. Cynder's eyes darted around the small room on their left, with only a few shelves and a low stone barrier contained that came up to their necks.

'Hello?' Spyro asked uncertainly, unsure whether anyone was there. 'We'd like to use the baths, please.'

Their eyes widened when a tall, furry creature with beady brown eyes raised its head from behind the stall. Its tall neck and heavily furred body were recognised quickly by Spyro and Sparx, but Cynder had never seen an Atlawa before. This one seemed a bit more slender than Kane, the male they had met years ago, and its mane was cream-coloured, along with white in the place of Kane's grey.

'Oh! Welcome!' Her voice was quite high-pitched, like she was scared out of a hiding place. 'New dragons... and a dragonfly. Wait... aah!'

At seeing Cynder, she ducked behind the stall again, covering her head as avoiding a skyward threat. 'Hey!' Spyro crept up on the stall with his front legs to look at her worriedly. 'It's alright! No one's going to hurt you.'

'Forgive me...' She exhaled a few times before studying them, especially Cynder. 'My name's Karrina... I was just overcome by a bad memory – Spyro, Cynder.'

Sparx stared at her in disbelief, motioning subtly to himself with one hand. 'Aaaaand...?'

Karrina glanced at the dragonfly flatly. 'And what?'

Sparx looked momentarily horrified. 'How about the Almighty Sparx? God of Tall Plains?'

Cynder snickered to herself as Karrina examined the dragonfly with contempt. 'Ah, you must be that annoying mosquito I've heard so much about. Not much of it good.'

When Sparx went off grumbling to himself, Cynder piped up guardedly. 'What was that memory, if I may ask?'

'Oh...' Karrina gave a startled look over their heads, bringing a paw to her chin. '...it's just hard to forget a giant, screeching dragon flying overhead with those ugly ape brutes rampaging throughout your home.'

Cynder stifled a sad sigh, but glanced at the floor solemnly. 'It was me, wasn't it? Leading the Apes? That's why I scared you.'

Karrina seemed to forget her memory quickly, as she shrugged and scrutinised her with fascination. 'Maybe. But I must say your new look is quite an improvement. Not that I had a good view of you before, anyhow.' At Cynder's hurt expression, she waved her hand fleetingly. 'Pay it no heed, dear. I'm perfectly aware of what you are now, as opposed to what you were before. You helped save the world, after all.'

Spyro lowered his body to look around. 'We'd like to use the baths for dragons, if we could?'

Karrina beamed enthusiastically, despite Cynder's morbid mood. 'Ah, of course! I could point you to the appropriate places, if you'd like. The largest bath may be a bit too deep for your liking.'

'Where's that?' Cynder asked, still trying to process her memory, prompting Karrina to slide the edge of the stall outwards and step next to them. She was twice Spyro's height, easily able to see most of the different steaming pools with it. The first thing they noticed was the thick wall running down the middle.

'The gender restricted baths are in the main building, most of which you can see from here in the two main rooms. Left is for the males, right for the females. There is also a shared bath which doesn't have such hot pools, at the far end, where this divider doesn't pass through. The deep bath is the largest... obviously. It's the two semi-circle pools forming the centre of their respective halves. Only adult dragons should be allowed in there. We don't have lifeguards, yet... given the recent war and its effects on economy and whatnot. Apart from that...' She turned back to the trio. 'Just use common sense and don't dive in a pool too deep for you, especially if you can't swim. But I haven't yet met a dragon who can't. It's somewhat natural for you, I imagine. The brighter area with cyan walls is technically shared among genders, but isn't naturally heated.'

They waited for more, but got silence. 'That's it?' Spyro asked uncertainly. 'Can we go in?'

'Of course!' Karrina went back to her stall, eyeing Sparx for a moment. 'Don't let that brother of yours drown, though. I don't think we've got any pools suitable for his size.'

Spyro and Cynder gave one glance to each, before Spyro grinned to himself. 'Let's go then! Sparx, where do you want...?'

Cynder rolled her eyes as she ventured off to the right while Spyro searched for Sparx, whose trail indicated he went ahead. Spyro quickly found him hovering over one of the smaller pools to the left, with an odd colour of bright yellow. Spyro couldn't help but grin at the different colours in each of the small pools as opposed to the large one's ocean blue.

_I wonder how they make these colours?_

'Sparx! You like that one just because it's yellow?'

Sparx objected with a flat frown. 'Hey, just because no one likes my colour, doesn't mean I can't!'

'C'mon, Sparx, don't be like that.'

Spyro dipped a paw into the water, and shrunk back instantly. He'd never felt such a high temperature of water before. He dipped it gradually again, and eventually slid the rest of his body down into the pool like a limp serpent. He found Karrina was correct; it did feel oddly natural to propel his body around the small body of water. After a few laps, he yawned and resigned himself to floating belly-up against one of the pool's edges. He felt his muscles instantly relax and much of the tension of questions running through his head before simply evaporate. He eyed his brother who was watching him a mixture of disbelief and disgust. From above his head.

'Sparx, you've got to try this!'

Spyro's urging didn't phase him. 'I'm in no hurry to drown myself. Where would I go, anyway? I might fall asleep at the edge and drown... and you're all limp, so you wouldn't even help me if I did.'

Spyro turned his head slightly, and didn't see any area for Sparx to enter safely. Then he got an idea. 'How about you land in my paws? I can make a smaller bath for you.'

Sparx seemed intrigued by the idea, but still looked sceptical. 'I dunno...'

'C'mon, Sparx. Trust me.'

After a few moments, Sparx let his shoulders slump. 'Uh... fine. But don't ask me to clean those filthy claws of yours!'

* * *

><p>After bathing for about an hour, the trio returned to their house and began organising sleeping spots for the three of them. There were a couple of cozy bedrooms on the lower floor, and the one on the roof opposite the bathroom was a little larger but seemed more of a guest room than anything else, as the enormous circular beds with several cushions stacked on one end were against the wall, while fully set up in the lower rooms. Cynder took the first on the right coming into the entrance after the living room, while Spyro and Sparx took the second at the edge of the building. They visited Zobar that evening for another snack for dinner, this time baked deer venison, and after setting up their respective bedrooms, set themselves to retire for the night.<p>

Spyro curled up on the scarlet-draped bed, filling only a small amount of the entire bedroll. It felt soothing having his brother and Cynder living in the same house, which was far more comfortable than he imagined. As he felt sleep begin to overcome him, his eyes darted around the bedroom to examine the few items that may have belonged to the previous occupant. There was a large bone claw-sharpener against the wall next to the curtained door, bathed by the sunset light from the window behind them; a tattered, unused calendar hung high up on its wall, and a large helmet. It was plain, gold plate with a single large spike jutting from its forehead which looked to cover a dragon's face above the jaw. There was something familiar about it, but Spyro was too tired to think about it now, sadness welling in his gut at the sight of the armour.

_Ignitus... I miss you..._

Spyro fell asleep with faint tears in his eyes.


	5. An Earth Pod

Chapter 4

An Earth Pod

* * *

><p>Cynder woke to the sound of chirping birds nearby. Despite the early hour, she couldn't get back to sleep even as she heard the birds fly off.<p>

She frowned into her black velvet cushion. Thoughts of Karrina and her people ran through her head, continually wondering exactly what she'd done to them.

_She seemed rather forgiving and didn't snap at me or shy away from me... apart from seeing me again. Spyro called them the Atlawa, and that he and Sparx had rescued Cyril from... me. The Atlawa had gone into hiding, and the Apes captured some and shipped them off somewhere...' _she thought with revulsion at their fate._ 'How many lives did I end up there? How many slaves did I create? How many-'_

She quickly shook her head, resorting to knocking her skull with one paw. _Snap out of it, Cynder! Remember what Terrador said. _She sighed heavily as she got to her feet. _No use sitting around._

Creeping quietly, she moved through the doorway and spared a peek at Spyro and Sparx, smiling as they were still dozing comfortably. This, she felt, was where he belonged; in company of friends in a place where he could make a difference. She could only hope that they would make more friends throughout the city as long as they remained.

As she lowered the curtain and trotted out the door, she heard the faint sounds of hammers reaching metal and rock. Curious, she followed the sound out the nearby arch, and found the source just beyond the marketplace. Several large buildings, the foremost being circular, were being rebuilt by hand with many moles and several dragons working together. She guessed that the first building had been a temple of some sort, as many cylindrical columns were arranged in a wide circle around what seemed to be an altar, but most of it was either obscured by the scaffolds or simply gone. On the stone platform containing the buildings' foundations, several earth dragons grouped together, closely examining a large paper chart plastered up against a standing stone wall.

As one, the half-dozen dragons spoke a few words, and eyed a pile of rubble that had been gathered in a divot between two raised platforms, wide and well cleared of anything but the pavement beneath. The dragons flew to positions equidistant around the rubble, forming a hexagon formation. At the same time, they all began charging earth energy between their jaws; something Cynder saw Spyro do frequently in battle. Then they all released their projectiles at once, shattering the large pieces of rubble into multiple pieces, and the contained pit prevented most from flying out. Two pieces managed to come free but the dragons simply smashed them back down with their front claws. They repeated this procedure until the individual pieces were small enough to fit into the thin columns that made up the temple behind them. She expected them to somehow move the rubble and form new columns. Instead, the two furthest stamped their feet to the ground, prompting the sound of scraping rock just underground, and the entire slab of stone beneath the rubble opened into a ramp, sending the pieces tumbling down into the pit gleaming red, before the stone slab slid upwards as if on a large hinge.

_That's amazing! I didn't know earth dragons could do that._

She didn't see those pieces of rubble again, but she guessed they were being melted down or worked into the right building blocks underground; most likely by some moles and maybe fire dragons.

_Maybe I should lend a claw. I know Spyro deserves a break, but... I don't think I found it as enjoyable as he did. The bath was nice, but I felt like I stayed too long... guess this couldn't hurt._

'Excuse me?' She called out to the moles as she approached from the steps below. 'Would you like some help?'

A pair of moles on ladders were fitting the next scaffold into place atop a column, but they didn't seem to hear her. When she got closer and repeated herself, they glanced at her through curious beady, before she received toothy smiles.

'Of course! A dragon's help is always welcome.'

Cynder gave an inward sigh of relief, half-expecting them to fall off at the sight of her. 'Great! So...what do I do?'

The smaller worker on the left pointed over at the previous earth dragons, who were now working together to move columns into place. 'You can help them move the columns around. There're many similar attachments to do today, and with your help we could get more done.'

'OK...' Cynder took a deep breath as she approached the dragons. '...here I go.'

* * *

><p>Spyro was having a very relaxing dream of flying when his eardrums began stinging from a constant buzzing noise. Opening his eyes, he was bemused to see Sparx staring right into one.<p>

'...Spyro! Spyro! Wake up! Wake up! Sp–'

Spyro shook his head free of his insect brother, groaning miserably as he stretched his legs and wings. 'Did you have to wake me up? I miss my dream already, Sparx.'

Sparx was waving his arms as if being chased by a Takk Frog. Spyro could sympathise; those brightly coloured dragonfly-hunters gave him his own fair share of nightmares as a kid in the swamp back home. 'It's an emergency, Spyro!' An emergency I tell you!'

'What is?'

'My dream! Or... a nightmare!'

Spyro frowned sympathetically and sat down. 'What did you see, Sparx?'

Sparx looked around shiftily to make sure no one was listening, shoulders hunched, before whispering into his ear. 'That Karrina – is _crazy._'

Spyro opened his jaw in surprise, before sighing – wondering to himself who the real _crazy_ was. 'Sparx, we saw her yesterday. And you didn't even get close to drowning; don't pretend you did. And before you say it; she's _not _crazy just because she doesn't worship you.'

'I beg to differ.' Sparx raised a nostril in annoyance. 'But that's not the half of it! She was watching us. Creepily.'

Spyro raised a brow in disbelief. 'What? You're imagining things.'

'I mean it, Spyro! Come on, why else would she put her office thingy on the _male _side?'

'Because she's a female?'

'Exactly!'

Spyro raised a palm to his forehead, unable to comprehend he was having such a ridiculous argument. Not that he intended to lose.

'Sparx, she's an Atlawa! Maybe the only one in Warfang – so it's not what you're thinking.'

Sparx simply nodded slowly. 'Yes... which only makes her _more_ creepy.'

Spyro could only stare back. 'You have a really weird imagination, Sparx.'

'Now _that _we can agree on.'

'Ugh... let's just go.' As he approached Cynder's door, he listened but couldn't hear her breathing. 'Cynder? You awake?'

When there was no answer or sound, they poked their head through the scarlet curtain. 'Huh. She must have left early.'

Spyro quickly pondered what to do for the day. He wanted to start on a book today, but it felt too early in the day for that. He wanted to explore more of the city with Cynder and Sparx, but they would have to find Cynder first. Then he remembered that Hunter had arrived but they hadn't met up with each other since everyone had returned to the city.

'Hey, Sparx. Let's go find Hunter! I haven't seen him in a while.'

Sparx simply let out a groan when he looked out the window, scanning the walls for a sign of the cheetah warrior's shadow. 'Well, I suppose if you need to see him. But he has a habit of finding you first – especially when you don't want to find him. This'll be harder than you think, Spyro.'

* * *

><p>Cynder found working with the earth dragons rather enjoyable. She helped them balance the tall columns to fit into their drilled holes deep through the stone slab as they slid them down, and they stuck well as the inside was coated with an extremely sticky, grey substance. Given her balance in flying, the earth dragons were happy with the progress they'd made as they weren't nearly as adept at hovering in position for long periods of time. And it was not unpleasant for her to be working with muscular adult drakes in full view at all times, either.<p>

'Cynder! Fellas!' The chief mole waved to them from the scaffolding's base. 'You've earned a short break. Come on down for some fried skinks we cooked up!'

The earth dragons lowered their respective stonework carefully, then clambered forward together almost like chicks being fed seeds. Cynder eyed the tiny morsels hungrily between her co-workers' broad shoulders. While only a snack, they tasted richer than the fish and venison she'd gotten before, filling her mouth with a spicy but pleasing tang. Once she took her share, she sat herself slightly away from the others under the shade of an overhanging tree over cool stone. However, she was slightly taken aback when a couple of the earth dragons came over and sat near her, but not too close. They seemed to be brothers, the eldest looking over her with approval.

'Thanks for your help today, Cynder. I was a little afraid of you at first, but it seems that Ignitus was right about you.'

Cynder raised her eyes from her mouthful. 'What exactly did Ignitus say about me these past years?'

The younger dragon spoke up in a lower voice. 'He said that you and Spyro's fates were bound together; that he knew from listening to the Chronicler. So... I guess we're all aware of the suffering you went through, and that you tried to take responsibility by leaving. Even though that decision mightn't have been the best, in the end...'

His brother cut him off, examining Cynder's wings enthusiastically. 'You're pretty good at flying. Could it be because you're a wind dragon?'

Cynder blinked thoughtfully. 'I'm... not exactly sure. I could be, I guess...'

'You know, wind dragons are actually female earth dragons.'

'What?' Cynder stared at them in disbelief. 'You're joking, right? I can't be an earth dragon.'

His brother seemed a little taken aback. 'You didn't have to spring it like that.'

Cynder had the sudden urge to get away from them, though from being crept out or wanting answers about her lineage, she wasn't sure. But the way the elder blabbed, she was wary of being told more than she wanted to know right now. However, they were quickly interrupted by the sound of feathered wings quickly approaching.

Seeing a large raptor incoming, beak diving towards them, she drew her paws around what was left of her snack. The falcon didn't seem to notice as it landed lightly on its feet, eyeing Cynder directly as if expecting something.

She grimaced restlessly. 'I'm not giving you the lizard! Wait... you're Hunter's!'

'What's that cheetah want with you?' The elder brother asked, but Cynder got up hurriedly in an effort to move on.

'Sorry, can't explain. Hunter needs me for something.'

Without another word, Talon screeched and leapt up a few feet to hover in the air as Cynder followed. They both flew riding the wind and gliding down the tiers, leaving Cynder expending almost no energy by the time she saw Hunter's figure on the tall ramparts. She smiled, having not seen him since a brief hello yesterday.

'Hunter! Did you send for me?' She called as she landed next to him, surveying the grassland before them. Hunter nodded to her as he let the falcon land on his shoulder. He quickly turned his attention to the grassland.

'I've just detected... the scent of dragons on the wind.' He closed his eyes and sniffed, his pointy ears twitching ever so slightly. 'They may be more survivors. We'll need a party to greet them and show them to appropriate housing.'

Still gripped by the desire to make herself useful, Cynder pushed herself to volunteer. She could leave a good impression by being a friendly face around the city, after all.

'I could do that.'

Hunter shook his head reluctantly. 'I'm afraid that may not be wise – I can also smell the scent of blood and weapons. It is all too possible they have brought trouble with them.'

Cynder involuntary flinched, not at all looking forward to hearing about more lives being lost. Still, she needed to help them if she could. 'What should I do then?'

'Given your skill, Cynder, you may want to stay up here or down in the front courtyard, just in case.' He scanned the horizon again, and widened his eyes. 'Dragons... as I thought. The Guardians will want to see them in. Talon' – he brushed his companion's wing gently – 'fetch at least one of the Guardians. They'll want to see the first arrivals from the outside world.'

Talon blinked once, then launched himself, flapping his powerful wings to rise towards the Grand Hall. Cynder remained standing there, wondering with a sense of dread the hardships these dragons had gone through, and would no doubt share when they arrived.

Hunter frowned with slight confusion. By now, if they had pursuers, he would be able to detect the specific scent of grublins. The aerial pod was close enough for him to see they were mostly earth dragons, though their colouring was sometimes unfamiliar. The largest dragon at the forefront was a striking shade of turquoise that he'd never seen before. Several of the dragons following it were a similar colour, some almost blue with a slight tinge of green. As they got closer, he watched with amusement the reaction of the guards. From their wide open stares and open jaws, he guessed the pod was almost exclusively female. With slight disappointment, he estimated their numbers at only two dozen. He raised his paw.

'Open the front gates! They have arrived.'

Cynder couldn't help but claw her way to the edge of the ramparts for a better look at the pod, who were now landing one-by-one and walking with heavy hints of exhaustion. She couldn't help but stare at the lead dragoness in admiration; her scales glistened with several reflective colours between blue and green, and her wing membranes were sky blue. Her membranes were whole and pristine with no tears or holes like so many males had. She wondered if they'd ever fought a battle, but given the dragoness's noble stature, she didn't doubt she could hold her own. She had three pairs of thin horns with a slight upward curve, all cream white and only adding to her regal demeanour with the crown-like formation.

Cynder froze when, while making sure the rest went through the gates and accounted for, the dragoness looked up directly at her. Her eyes were the colour of a sunset, showing a warm and gentle gaze behind it. She felt no hostility or fear from her.

She had to talk to her. She needed to know who she was.

They were interrupted from the procession as Clauk glided down and landed next to them. 'I saw dragons coming down. What's the situation, Hunter?'

Hunter gave one final sniff, his ears curling back with displeasure. 'These dragons look exhausted, like they were being hunted as they flew. Yet I still cannot detect their pursuers.'

Cynder glanced at him hopefully. 'Maybe they lost them?'

Hunter narrowed his eyes, still gazing at the horizon. 'I'd like to believe that, Cynder. But my instincts tell me otherwise.'

Clauk nudged Cynder's shoulder. 'Come, let's go meet them.'

Cynder nodded enthusiastically as they left Hunter on the wall, still watching for his perceived threat. With the gates shut, the pod visibly relaxed at having reached safety. All except the lead, who seemed like-minded with Hunter, given her expression.

'Whoa.'

Cynder couldn't help but roll her eyes at Clauk's face. Were all earth drake like this?

The dragoness raised her great head at their arrivals, immediately turning to address them.

'Greetings. Thank you for allowing us in so freely.'

'It's... it's nothing.' Clauk managed to stammer. Cynder gave a soft groan and stepped forward eagerly, unable to stop herself staring in awe.

'My name's Cynder. Who are you? Who're these dragons you travel with?'

'Nadina.' She turned to look after her pod with concern. 'After receiving word of the war's end by one of our scouts, we took it upon ourselves to return to our old home.'

Clauk nodded with recognition, turning down to Cynder. 'We did send our females to safety quite a while ago.'

Nadina shook her head quickly, her expression darkening. 'I'm afraid now's not the time for pleasantries. Guard, you need to mobilise as many dragons to fight as you can. My pod is in no condition to fight.'

'Of course...' Clauk began. 'But fight what? What's coming?'

'Grublins. A whole battalion.'

Clauk's eyes widened momentarily before he took off to carry out her orders. Hunter quickly leapt down to join them, eyeing Nadina with scrutiny.

'What can you tell us? How much time do we have?'

'Twenty minutes at most.'

Hunter blinked in surprise. 'Truly? Why are they pursuing if they fell so far behind?'

Nadina scowled at the ground. 'They've taken leave of their senses. The moment they smelled us, they pursued us even as it cost them many warriors. We took out a large portion of them when they ran atop cliffs with wind, but this just seemed to enrage them further.'

'What about composition?'

Nadina closed her eyes for a moment. 'From what I remember – there are five hundred grublins, one hundred orcs and two trolls left. No siege engines or machines; they couldn't have followed us so far otherwise.'

Cynder felt her gut clench worriedly. As Hunter nodded and began to help Clauk spread the word of their threat, she eyed Nadina with concern, spotting her wings drooping a little as she snorted heavily.

'You're going to stay? You look exhausted from all that flying.'

Nadina paused as she raised her head to peer at the black youngster. 'The grublins are my responsibility – I led them here along with my pod, so I have to do everything I can.'

Cynder grimaced with a mixture of sympathy and admiration. 'You seem oddly calm about this, Nadina.'

'Considering that the original army which attacked Warfang was many times larger – I'm hoping I can prevent any more innocents from being harmed.'

Cynder felt a surge of relief that she was staying to fight. 'So do I.'

Nadina eyed her with concern. 'You're staying too?'

'Of course!'

The dragoness smiled gently with approval. 'You are brave, young lady, but keep your wits about you.' She looked to the sky sadly. 'There will be blood on the wind tonight...'

* * *

><p>After snapping Spyro out of a staring contest with some new dragon arrivals, Sparx rushed ahead to spot the three Guardians diving down the surface of Warfang with great speed. He pointed this out quickly to Spyro.<p>

'What's the hurry, I wonder?'

Spyro was still under the influence of the females; he even remembered seeing a dragon around his age. He wanted to talk to them more.

Sparx simply ground his jaw with annoyance before poking him in the eye. 'Earth to Spyro! Hello! The Guardians have flown down the main courtyard; they looked pretty serious too.'

'Uh... right...'

Spyro quickly snapped out of his trance, and noticed that in addition, many dragons were gathering at the top of the ramparts, and several moles were manning the main dragon cannon. He sighed with inward relief when two tested the lever themselves to load a cannon-rock.

He quickly took off, quickly spotting the gathering of the Guardians with Cynder, along with another adult dragoness with striking turquoise scales. He shook his head again; now was not the time to be distracted.

However, when they landed a few feet back, Sparx's jaw dropped when he saw Terrador and the dragoness embracing. Spyro thought nothing of it, since they were the same breed, even if their scales were somewhat divergent.

Terrador looked up at them warmly, but at the same time, grimly. 'Spyro, Sparx, this is Nadina – an old friend of mine.'

Spyro and Nadina nodded to each other respectfully before Cyril stepped towards them.

'Young dragon, grublins are coming again. We'll need your help.'

Cynder moved to join their side as Spyro spoke up questioningly. 'OK, but how many? We can't last if– '

'It's not.' Cynder spoke quickly. 'It's a single battalion. Hunter thinks it's some sort of trick, but he knows they're coming now.'

Cyril looked up towards the front gate, baring his teeth. 'They will _not_ catch us off guard this time.'

Moles and several cheetahs were gathering in the courtyard, while all archers and non-earth dragons gathered on the ramparts, including some fire and electricity dragons. Spyro was surprised to see no other ice dragons apart from himself and Cyril, but thought better of questioning it now.

'So what's the plan?' Cynder asked them. Terrador and Cyril glanced at each other with determination as the Ice Guardian voiced a strategy.

'The most experienced flyers will thin them out in the open plain. We'll keep the gates barred with flame seals until the flyers run out of energy, then hem them in with an arc formation in the two courtyards. It may not even be necessary to bring the moles into close quarters. As for the trolls, we have to try and isolate them and pick them off when the opportunity presents itself.'

Spyro and Cynder knew that the courtyard was where they belonged; they didn't have enough raw power to effectively launch their attacks over long range, and among the orcs there were bound to be archers mixed in. One look at Terrador told him where they were heading, joining several earth dragons in the courtyard as they began stacking makeshift barricades of rubble and in some cases making them from the stone beneath. Nadina moved to support the fire and electricity dragons who were preparing to fly on Hunter's watch. Volteer and Cyril joined them atop the ramparts, while Terrador stood next to the two young dragons as they eyed the massive, glowing lava orb rotating within the lock once again.

* * *

><p>Hunter could smell the grublins coming closer, the particularly foul stench of trolls and orcs seeping into his nostrils. Talon atop his shoulder was on edge too, as if he longed to fly and claw the grublins' rocky flesh. Hunter trusted Talon to keep his back; during the war, Talon stayed at Hunter's side and only attacked their foes at the right moment.<p>

His sharp feline eyes caught movement from the edge of the forest, as some trees behind it visibly fell with a resounding crash. They had trolls, all right.

'Prepare to fly... once at least half are exposed.'

The several dragons around him stiffened their wings and hunched down. Talon screeched at the sight of the first grublin emerging. The odd-looking creature eyed the city for a few moments, before clicking its earthen jaw menacingly. It rose its club for a second, and the rest of the battalion gradually emerged, but they seemed disorganised, and their speed grew the further along the plain they charged. Hunter narrowed his eyes and studied their composition; Nadina's information was correct, it seemed. However, half of the grublins were of flying insect variety, so the flyers would have a somewhat more difficult job.

Cyril took off the moment the first troll appeared, prompting the rest of the flyers to follow suit. The dozen or so dragons soon formed a V formation, with Volteer and Nadina backing Cyril up.

Hunter strung his bow and waited for the lead grublins to get closer. Once he could make out the outline of its eyes, he loosed the arrow and struck it through the eye. As he continued to pick his targets, he prioritised the orc archers first as they were the only soldiers able to properly retaliate against the dragon flyers.

Cyril loosed a concentrated gush of ice spikes down the middle of the column with a downward swoop. The projected ice spears impaled a few grublins and several orcs in one blow. However, right as he ascended, several archers loosed their dark arrows as he left himself vulnerable, but Nadina shot forward and unleashed a wide gust of wind from her jaws that deflected the arrows down and into the ground.

Spotting her elemental prowess, the other dragons hung back until they could do another bombardment with Nadina's cover. They quickly began the pattern of following Nadina in a dive, where she deflected the large volleys of arrows where she could. This did not completely stop them, however, as several received stinging wounds where the arrows pierced their hides and underbellies, causing their flight to become more laboured as they continued. Volteer roared painfully as several arrows pierced his abdomen after falling afoul of several flying grublins, before shocking the miniature flyers in retaliation and sending them plummeting to the ground. After their fourth pass, Cyril eyed his friends and the others, and called out wearily.

'Enough! We've done our job. It's time to join the defenders at the gate. Those of you unfit to fight, get yourselves to safety. That means you too, Volteer.'

The electricity Guardian shook his head despite the trickles of blood he left through the air. 'Not quite yet, Cyril. Nadina is still in the fight, and that means I am too.'

Cyril raised an eyeridge as they turned around, wondering what kind of trick was up the dragon's flank.

He gave one last look at the remaining orc archers, spotting one having its neck impaled by another of Hunter's arrows as it raised its armed claw. He estimated that they'd killed at least a hundred grublins and dozens of orcs in their attack, but the two trolls were still pushing forward despite their burns and the ice spikes protruding from their thick hides.

_Now onto the archers atop the battlements._

* * *

><p>Several cheetahs warriors were launching arrows as fast as they could, spotting the flying dragons getting clear. This also begun the cannon's series of bombardments that sent several bodies flying with every blast. Hunter was amazed at the casualties they'd inflicted without a single one of their own, as he spotted every dragon who flew out return overhead, half of which swooped down onto the back of the battlements waiting to attack any who would break through the gates.<p>

_I still do not understand the logic behind this attack... they truly have taken leave of all tactical sense. Unless there's an ambush or golem coming from beneath..._

He shook the thoughts from his mind when a flying grublin got close enough to stab at him with its knobbed spear, but Talon flew forward and tore into its face with his razor-sharp claws. Hunter inwardly cursed himself for the distraction, and examined the state of the battle. Most of the battalion had now pressed itself up against the front gate to avoid the cannon blasts, as it couldn't not lower its pitch any further. Earth dragons on either side of him were hurling chunks of rubble, crushing any orcs or grublins in their wake. The two trolls were hammering on the stone doors, using their thick overgrown knuckles to break large chunks out of the door with every blow. However, it eventually reached the point after about an hour where they could no longer get a clear shot from up above, from rubble or arrows. He dashed backwards and yelled down towards the awaiting defenders in the courtyard.

'Terrador! We are not getting anywhere from here. It's time to let the gates open and finish the rest off.'

The earth guardian furrowed his brow with concern, but he knew the warriors he had with him were experienced enough, including Spyro and Cynder. Nadina, Volteer and Cyril had landed behind them as well. He nodded to the fire dragons on either side.

'Let the lock run out. Be ready, all of you.'

Spyro couldn't help but feel foolish, letting the fire burn out when the usual strategy was to keep it closed as long as possible. Then again, most of his previous battles had been far more desperate – if their numbers were low enough that the archers couldn't get a clear shot, then it made sense to draw them in to a defensive location.

They waited for a whole minute, and when the fire ran out, the trolls burst through the stone with a crash. Terrador immediately let loose an earth missile aimed into its neck as its momentum still carried it forward, causing it to yowl painfully and double back while its comrades leapt forward in a battle frenzy. However, it soon leant forward on its limbs and shrugged off the other missiles from subsequent attacks.

Spyro quickly moved forward, aiming his ice projectiles at the beast's joints in an effort to slow it down. Following his lead from their previous battles, Cynder released streams of poison globules that burned away some of its natural armour on its shoulders and stomach. The other warriors moved forward and engaged the remaining grublins and orcs on either side, with Nadina darting in and out, blowing away any off-guard enemies that surrounded one of her comrades, amidst tearing into them with her claws and jaws where appropriate.

Seeing its fellow troll in pain, the second, a shade darker and purple instead of green, suddenly howled and charged through their line with unexpected speed, throwing aside several dragons as they leapt out of its way. Spyro and Cynder rolled to the side as it charged straight towards them, and stopped after a few strides into the open.

Cyril and Volteer moved to intercept the separated creature, cutting it off from the main battle. Cyril weaved and dodged its predictable blows, taking every chance he could to launch ice spikes into its underbelly and joints. Volteer's sustained attacks often left him with perfect openings, but its thick arms still waved around even as its relatively small legs stumbled. For every successful shot, its movements slowed, until finally Cyril planted three spikes deep into its neck. It fell in a crumpled heap, still twitching from Volteer's electricity.

With only a single troll left, and being quickly worn down in the face of ice, poison and other elemental attacks, Volteer spotted an opening. Seeing that no more grublins were pouring through, he ordered the stone gates closed, and two fire dragons broke from the battle. They rammed the stone doors shut with all their strength before lighting their lava torches. Even to Volteer, this wasn't necessary. He took off into the air.

'Nadina! It's time! Break away, everyone!'

The forefront warriors leapt backwards just behind the position Nadina had stood herself. Volteer charged his electricity for several seconds as the warriors hampered their adversaries along their path. Finally, he unleashed a concentrated orb of glimmering electricity which shattered upon the stone in the middle of the remaining army, spreading out in a wave that stunned its victims as it projected outwards. Amidst this, Nadina inhaled deeply in a similar manner, and when all the enemies stood paralysed before her, with spread wings, she unleashed a wide gust with enough force to send all the orcs and grublins tumbling into the stone wall with a massive crunch. With the troll momentarily separated, Terrador roared with bloodlust and leapt forward, bowling the creature over and pinning its armed limb to the ground as he tore into its neck and face. The two fire dragons on either side quickly burned the line of grublins nearby to a crisp, and with the last troll dead, the dragons converged and, before their enemies could recover, tore the last grublins and orcs to pieces.

* * *

><p>Sparx slowly rose from his hiding place from within a market stall. The sounds of snarling and burning nearby told him enough. He'd never heard that volume of roaring and rending of flesh – it was a grim reminder that dragons were still ferocious and powerful creatures despite their otherwise civilised manner.<p>

When the clamour of battle died down, he moved to return and find Spyro and Cynder to make sure they were safe. Among other moles watching, he saw many dragons clawing and tearing at the edge of the wall along with the death throes of the grublins, and he couldn't help but feel – sickened at the sight. As if echoing his feelings, he could see a lone sky dragoness surveying the carnage, with her wings and body looking very morose. It somewhat reminded him of the state he and Spyro had found Ignitus in on their first meeting.

Sparx approached the dragoness hesitantly, and she didn't respond to his presence until he was up next to her face. Her eyes looked rather sad, as well as tired from the fighting.

'Is everything alright down there?'

She exhaled softly. 'I'm not so sure. Something feels very wrong here.' Nadina sighed and shook her head. 'At least we suffered no fatalities...'

When the dragons ahead finally ended their fighting, Sparx approached and sighed with relief when Spyro and Cynder appeared from between the surrounding adult dragons' legs. 'So I gather the battle went well?'

Spyro nodded, but looked similarly troubled as Nadina. 'Yeah – a bit too well. I wouldn't call it a battle – more like slaughter. These grublins threw themselves to their deaths.'

Cynder was less sympathetic. 'What do you expect? They came with the full intention to kill us.'

Terrador moved back from the gate, with Volteer and Cyril soon landing to form a makeshift circle before Nadina.

'Perhaps we'll have more time to discuss this situation with Nadina. It may be best to go now, in fact...' He eyed Volteer's blood trail with concern. 'Volteer, you need to get yourself patched up! Cyril, close his wounds before we depart.' As the Ice Guardian coated the wounds with a thin layer of ice, Terrador glanced over at Nadina thankfully. 'As for you, Nadina, we are very thankful. You spared many dragons from further wounds.'

Strangely, he was only answered with a cold stare, which visibly surprised the earth guardian. Nadina quickly turned away before he could respond and flew up with great speed, causing the Guardians, Spyro and Cynder to beat their wings hurriedly in an effort to catch up. Volteer quickly diverged towards the Starlight Towers for the wide box-like infirmary buildings arranged in a barracks-like formation, from which several other dragons were dragging their bodies towards as well. Terrador felt a little shaken; that look was not at all what he remembered of her from when they were younger.

It wasn't long before they neared the Grand Hall once again, but Nadina stopped short of entering the Hall itself, instead opting to talk right there in the courtyard among the decorative pillars. By the time the rest had arrived, Nadina was awaiting them with a serious glare in her eyes, falling on Terrador as he landed first.

'Terrador, what's happened to you?'

There was a moment of awkward silence before he answered. 'I'm afraid I don't understand...'

'Or rather, what's happened to all of you? Have you lost yourself in war after all this time?'

Spyro, Cynder and Sparx were quick to realise they didn't have much bearing on the discussion, and stepped back as the adult dragons gathered closer together. Terrador frowned tensely in response.

'How could we not, Nadina? Three years straight, we have been fighting for our survival here, holding onto the faint hope that Spyro would return and deal with Malefor once and for all. And he did, but the effects of the war still weigh down on us.'

Nadina shook her head sadly. 'That doesn't excuse what I saw down there. It's reached the point where you revel in death and destroying your enemies, when the earth dragons were very different in ages past. Our Ancestors were peaceful and pursued defense and harmony, not a basal lust for battle that you and your warriors seem to have adopted. At least I can help you steer them back on the right path.'

Terrador wasn't sure how to respond, glancing downwards in shame, instead letting Cyril speak next. 'My lady, regardless of the disagreements between you two, it will help our cause significantly for you to stay with us. Pardon my asking, but will you and other wind dragons be willing to act as scouts and huntresses? Your skills at flying and hunting are well known to us, even though it has been many years since we've last witnessed wind dragons in action.'

Nadina was still glaring at Terrador, but after a moment turned her attention away, nodding graciously towards him. 'Yes... of course, once we've recovered from our journey, we'd be glad to offer our skills. We aren't simply helpless refugees, after all.'

Terrador raised his head expectantly. 'Are you the only pod that's coming? Where's the rest of your village? And are there any other holdouts?'

Nadina froze, sadness suddenly reaching her eyes, as it was her turn to look away. 'I'm... I don't know how to say this, Terrador, but we're all that's left.'

'What?' Terrador's response was oddly quiet. 'That can't be. Our kingdom once spanned entire mountains ranges, along with the caverns beneath! You mean to say you found no one else?'

'Yes, Terrador. I tried to find them, I did... before I led my pod from our cavern, I sought out the other holdouts on the continent. They were all empty, and... I also discovered the remains of some of our people. The rest... I don't know. I'm... I'm sorry.'

The earth guardian stared at the ground for a few moments, before turning to survey the dragons in the city beginning to clean away the dead grublins. 'You mean to say... all that remains of the earth dragons are several dozen individuals?' He lowered his head solemnly, unable to conceive that within a decade a whole race had been diminished to such a level. 'Allow me to be excused... I need to reflect on this.'

Cyril and Nadina nodded sympathetically as Terrador lumbered through to the Council Chambers, his shadow passing through the faint sunlight soon fading with the evening.

'Forgive him, madam, but the past years have been hard on all of us. He'll come around soon.' When Terrador faded from view, he looked back at her. 'Where will you live? What are your people's plans?'

Nadina answered confidently. 'Most of them will return to the Earth district... many lived there before the war. Some will return to their homes and mates in the other districts.'

'And you?'

'I...' Nadina paused. 'I would think it best if I come and live here in the Chambers among you Guardians, but I may move in tomorrow. I need to help my people settle in tonight.'

Cyril gazed at her, pleasant surprise plain on his face. He stood like that for a moment, giving the impression of a happy ice sculpture. 'So you plan on being a Guardian, do you?'

Nadina was taken aback, quickly shaking her head. 'What? No! I don't have the experience for such a thing. However, I do want to have my say in matters high on the agenda, as Terrador seems to have lost his way significantly, and if our people are to return to our roots, he'll need my help. But I have to change his outlook, first... and he's... well...'

Cyril smirked at her troubled look. '...Hard as stone, yes. It will be difficult to change his position, but that does not mean you shouldn't try. You may have many years to do this, who knows?'

Nadina and Cyril soon exchanged farewells, and Cyril approached the three youngsters, eyeing them tiredly.

'I think we've all had a bit too much excitement today, I must say. Anyhow, you three should come visit us tomorrow at some point; Volteer is preparing something for you to fill your days. If luck holds, Nadina may be able to teach you some things as well. Hm...' He gripped his pointy chin thoughtfully. 'I may have a few errands to run tomorrow morning. How grand.' He eyed the confused expressions on the youngsters. 'Nevermind. Come tomorrow around midday. I believe Volteer and I should have things organised by then. Off you go, now.'

Spyro and Sparx opened their mouths to ask, but Cyril dismissed them with a swift swish of his tail as he followed in Terrador's footsteps towards the Chambers. 'Well, that was rude.' Sparx stated simply. 'So much for a nice friendly reunion...'

* * *

><p>As the three of them returned at around eleven-Solus and sat on the cushions for a rest, Spyro began voicing his questions gathered in his head and expelling them with anticipation.<p>

'I wonder what Volteer's got for us? Hopefully it's more training – maybe he kept some secrets about Electricity for when I'm older. It hasn't been as useful as my other abilities so far.'

Sparx eyed his brother flatly. 'Does that mean we'll have to zap more of those weird straw dummies? As well as put up with his big words?'

'It'll be worth it, Sparx. Perhaps he'll teach me how to use that shockwave he used before?'

As Spyro continued prattling to himself, Sparx eyed Cynder, who was being strangely silent as if in heavy thought. Sparx quickly responded by nudging his brother's cheek. Spyro blinked and picked up on this too.

'Cynder? What's on your mind?'

Cynder managed an enthusiastic smile herself. 'Nadina. I was wondering, what do you think of her?'

Sparx answered first. 'She seems nice... for a dragon. She was pretty put off by seeing all those grublins die, at least, despite how much she helped with it. As for that stuff with Terrador? I guess they were pretty shocked to see each other if they were childhood friends or somethin'. And war's a crazy thing, so they've both become a bit... estranged, I guess.'

Cynder nodded and turned her head. 'What about you, Spyro?'

An idea crept into Spyro's head. 'Maybe one day she could teach me something about that wind breath. It'd be useful to block arrows, and maybe help me with flying. And...' He paused uncertainly. 'Her scales are really quite... well, pretty. Not that I've seen a wind dragon before.'

'Do you think... she would teach me about Wind breath?'

The brothers blinked before Spyro smiled encouragingly. 'Hey, yeah...that's a good idea! Better than mine, at least, since you can already use it. You should ask her about it tomorrow if you see her. Though... she might be a bit busy getting settled in and everything. Maybe she could train us both?'

Cynder smiled fondly. 'I think you're getting your hopes a bit too high. We won't know for sure until Volteer starts... whatever he's doing.'

Sparx stifled a yawn. 'Yeah yeah, you dragons and your magic-shooting. Good luck with that. As for me, I'm gonna get back to our room for a power-nap.' He hovered down towards the wide hallway. 'Coming, Spyro?'

'Just a sec.' Spyro hurriedly moved towards the large bookshelf, picking out the first book he wanted to browse. Cynder spotted its title: "Species of Dragons". She might pick up on reading it after him; she was curious to learn more about wind dragons and how she might have inherited their powers. Spyro glanced at her questioningly when she stayed put.

'What are you going to do, Cynder? We've still got an hour until night-time.'

Cynder felt like stretching her wings one more time. 'Maybe I'll go check on that construction team I helped this morning.'

She couldn't help but notice Spyro's approving smile.

'What?'

'Oh... it's just nice to see you making friends.'

Cynder snorted. 'While you go making friends with books.'

'Yeah...' Spyro glanced at the ceiling. 'I'd like to meet that young wind dragoness that I spotted coming in at some point, come to think of it.' Not spotting Cynder's stunned look, he turned to his room. 'Have fun with those workers!'

Cynder felt a strange pang of hostility when she heard another dragoness their age was in the city, but she quickly shook it off. Regardless, another dragon of their generation should be welcomed, though she couldn't completely shake the uneasy feeling of when they'd meet her, whoever she was. She turned to take in the cool evening air before taking off.


End file.
